Lithic scatter consists primarily of
lithic flakes
In archaeology, a lithic flake is a "portion of rock removed from an objective piece by percussion or pressure,"Andrefsky, W. (2005) ''Lithics: Macroscopic Approaches to Analysis''. 2d Ed. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press and may also be ref ...
and other
stone tool
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric (particularly Stone Ag ...
use remnants. Scatter occurs in surface areas that have often been disturbed by agricultural and natural events. Lithic scatters are used to study past inhabitants and are often the only evidence remaining. Lithic scatter is an indicator of Paleolithic or Mesolithic occupation. Techniques are used to evaluate the technologies that were employed and to date the scatter. Scatter can include relics from multiple historic periods.
See also
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Lithic analysis
In archaeology, lithic analysis is the analysis of stone tools and other chipped stone artifacts using basic scientific techniques. At its most basic level, lithic analyses involve an analysis of the artifact’s morphology, the measurement of ...
References
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Archaeological artefact types
Lithics