Experimental quartz splitting experience of quartz in Кarelia

There were several stone industries in Karelia in the Mesolithic and Neolithic: slate, quartz, and flint-lidite. Quartz was used throughout Northern Europe as a material for making lithic tools in the Stone Age. At the end of the 20th century, an understanding was formed in Russian archaeology that quartz implements cannot be classified according to the typological schemes used for flint, because these rocks have different structures. In 1992 and 1995, experimental knapping of quartz was carried out in North Karelia and on the eastern shore of Lake Onega. In the experiment, the bipolar chipping technique was used –– the simplest option for primary work with a stone that does not require special skills. Quartz's lack of a proper crystal structure makes the traditional flint stone preparation scheme unnecessary. Upon impact, fragments are formed, which, according to the typology developed for flint tools, may be defined as awls, knives, pièces esquillées and geometric microliths. Most of the fragments had sharp edges, which could be used for different tasks without additional retouching. The question arises about the applicability of our typological schemes for quartz artefacts.