Stone tools

Abstract

Lithics, or stone tools, are the first visible evidence of human culture. The durability of lithics has rendered them more important to archaeologists than they likely were to the people who made and used them. Lithic analysis has been dominated by neoevolutionary perspectives that have entrenched androcentric, heteronormative ideas about gender roles, particularly male dominance in hunting, provisioning women and children, and attracting sex partners. Recent research has reevaluated the position of women in relation to stone tool production and has also looked at the symbolism attached to lithic raw material and stone tools.