Flaked Stone

R. J. Sliva has been Desert Archaeology’s lead flaked stone analyst since 1994, conducting analyses that record a range of technical and design data from stone tools, the raw materials used to make them, and the waste products generated during their manufacture to investigate the social behaviors, cultural affiliations, and demographics of past peoples.

Sliva has developed detailed projectile point typologies for the region that are in widespread use by other researchers, along with techniques for using debitage (waste flake) data to understand how people organized their workspaces, to trace the different ways men and women used flaked stone technology, to recognize how technological traditions changed over time, and to distinguish the materials made by members of different social groups. Published works include a technical manual on general flaked stone analysis procedures and a projectile point monograph that includes a typological guide to the points made by early farmers in the Southwest.

Analysis services for CRM professionals and academic projects are available on a contract basis, including full assemblage analysis, projectile point identification, and artifact illustration and imaging. Email us for availability, scheduling, and current rates.