Stone

A concretion of mineral matter, one of the first materials to be used for making artifacts. Very fine grained or glassy stones, such as flint and obsidian, were shaped mainly by chipping or flaking. Other less brittle stones had to be hammered or chiseled into shape, and then polished. Precious and decorative stones were also widely used in antiquity. Petrological analysis of stone has allowed the source materials to be discovered.

One of the first materials to be used for making artefacts. Very fine grained, or glassy stones, such as flint and obsidian, were shaped mainly by chipping or flaking. Other less brittle stones had to be hammered or chiselled into shape, and then polished. Precious and decorative stones were also widely used in antiquity, for example, jade, LOGICAL analysis of stone has allowed the source materials to be discovered. Studies of Neolithic stone axes in Britain have allowed a network of ancient trade to be reconstructed. Hones, querns and building stones may be investigated in a similar way.