Flintknapping

Hard Hammer Percussion

In hard hammer percussion, a knapper removes relatively broad flakes using a rounded hard rock against the core in a tangential blow. This type of percussion is useful for removing large flakes that can be reshaped into useable tools using other methods. Hard hammer is the earliest type of knapping seen in the archaeological record and is the starting place for most knappers. The use of a hard hammer often results in a bulge, known as the bulb of percussion, left on the removed flake and is often times a diagnostic character in identifying this type of knapping in archaeological context.