Diversity of Tool Forms
Archaeologists have divided the stone tools found at Upper Paleolithic sites into more than 100 different types. However, these types fall into a very few more general categories. The most frequently encountered of these are "scrapers," "burins," and "perforators". These categories were named before we knew anything about the actual uses for the tools. From microscopic examination of polish on tool edges, we now know that the purpose suggested by the shape of a tool was often not the one that the tool actually served. Many examples are now known of burins (meaning "chisel" or "engraving tool") used to scrape bone or hide, scrapers used to gouge or shave a variety of materials, and perforators used as chisels.
