The purpose of lithic reduction may be to rough out a blank for later refinement into a projectile point, knife, or other stone tool, or it may be performed in order to obtain sharp flakes, on which a variety of simple tools can be made. Generally, the presence of a core is indicative of the latter process, since the former process usually leaves no core. Cores may be subdivided into specific types by a lithic analyst. Type frequencies, as well as the general frequency of types at an archaeological site, can give the lithic analyst a better understanding of the lithic reduction processes occurring at that site.
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