Eraillure

In lithic analysis (a subdivision of archaeology), an eraillure is a small secondary flake removed from a lithic flake's bulb of force, which is a lump left on the dorsal surface of a flake after it is detached from a core of tool stone during the process of lithic reduction. The mechanics of eraillure formation are related to the propagation of a Hertzian cone[?] of force through the cryptocrystalline matrix of the stone, but the particulars are poorly understood. Eraillures form only when a hammerstone is used for lithic reduction, and then only occasionally; use of soft hammer[?] fabricators made from bone, antler, and wood produce different flake characteristics.