It’s Hammer Time: Characterising Percussion Elements in Lithic Assemblages

Akash Srinivas

Percussion elements form one axis of the lithic technological triumvirate of cores, flakes and percussors. Two types of percussion elements are broadly noted in most lithic assemblages – active percussion elements, such as hammerstones, and passive percussion elements, such as anvils. Percussion elements serve as a proxy towards understanding various lithic technological behaviours and characterising the techniques and methods of flake detachment. While such percussion elements are integral in the creation of any lithic assemblages, they are rarely identified and recovered from the archaeological record. This paper tries to tackle possible reasons for the general invisibility of such important lithic elements. It outlines the results of actualistic studies related to characterising complete and broken percussion elements to investigate their technological features. It hopes to highlight key features which might make the identification of percussion elements in lithic assemblages more visible and relevant, as well as throw light on how equifinality of forms has played a role in the underrepresentation of percussion elements in the lithic archaeological record.