In archaeology, a racloir, also known as ''racloirs sur talon'' (French for "scraper on heel"), is a type of
flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...
tool
A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
made by prehistoric peoples.
Description
The racloir is a type of
side scraper distinctive of
Mousterian assemblages. It is created from a flint
flake and looks like a large
scraper. As well as being used for scraping
hides and
bark, it may also have been used as a knife.
Racloirs are most associated with the
Neanderthal
Neanderthals ( ; ''Homo neanderthalensis'' or sometimes ''H. sapiens neanderthalensis'') are an extinction, extinct group of archaic humans who inhabited Europe and Western and Central Asia during the Middle Pleistocene, Middle to Late Plei ...
Mousterian
industry. These racloirs are
retouched along the ridge between the
striking platform and the dorsal face. They have shaped edges and are modified by abrupt flaking from the dorsal face.
References
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Archaeological artefact types
Lithics
Mousterian
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