“Direct Percussion,” a Stone Production Technology of the Early Period

“Direct percussion” refers to the method of making chipped stone tools by directly striking stone against stone. Since breaking stone is a laborious task, only a small section of the stone was broken off before it was used as a tool. As a result, most stone tools made using the direct percussion technique were large in size and rough in shape. The most common examples of stone tools made with this technique are handaxes and choppers/chopping tools.