Acknowledgments1. Introduction Using This BookLearning to Knap2. Flintknapping: Basic Principles FlintknappingConchoidal FractureProperties of MaterialFlakes and Cores3. A Brief History of Flintknapping Prehistory of Stone ToolsRecent "Stone-Age" PeopleModern KnappingFurther ReadingsOther Resources: Finding Other Knappers4. Raw Materials Stone QualityStone MaterialsHeat-TreatingCollecting Material: Ethical and Practical Considerations5. Safety Proper TechniqueEyesHandsOther Body PartsLungsWaste DisposalBenefits6. Hard-Hammer Percussion Material and EquipmentPercussion-Flaking Principles: An ExperimentPercussion FlakingPlatformsThe Face of the CoreTerminationsCurvatureStarting a CoreSummary: Nine EssentialsExamples7. Pressure Flaking ToolsRaw MaterialFirst PrinciplesWorking PositionBeginningPlatform PreparationThinningNotchingOther Pressure-Flaking TechniquesSummary: Six EssentialsApplication: Small Triangular Points from the SouthwestPressure-Flaking ProblemsPatterned Pressure Flaking8. Soft-Hammer Percussion and Bifaces DefinitionsToolsBeginningSoft-Hammer Principles and ResultsBiface Thinning FlakesFracture TheoriesThe Blow PlatformsBiface StagesKnapping Strategy and Other ConsiderationsExample: A Basic BifaceBiface Problems: Prehistoric MistakesSummary9. Blades and Fluting BladesPlatformsHoldingPunchesThe BlowFlutingExample: Fluted Point10. Using Stone Tools Stone vs. SteelEdges and CuttingMaking a Projectile ForeshaftGoing On11. Archaeological Analysis of Stone Tools TypologyStone Tool Types and Change through TimeWhat People Did with StonesSources of Variation: Why Stone Tools Are Not All AlikeAnalyzing Stone Tool MaterialsTechnology and What It Tells UsFiguring Out FunctionQuestions of StyleConclusionsAppendix: Resources for KnappersReferencesIndex

A mid-range user’s guide to flintknapping is long overdue. There have been some admirable attempts to produce such a volume, but these have been targeted at specific, fairly narrow audiences. Not so with Flintknapping.... [Whittaker’s] clear aim is to reach professional archaeologists as well as hobbyists. I believe he achieves this goal with incredible skill and humor.... I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in flintknapping.

"... very attractive to readers interested in ancient crafts, survival skills, or the history of technology... far superior to anything currently available." -- James C. Woods, director, The Herrett Museum, College of Southern Idaho