Microlith facts for kids

A small stone tool called a backed edge bladelet

A microlith is a very small stone tool. It's usually made from flint or chert, which are types of hard rock. These tiny tools are often about a centimeter long and half a centimeter wide. People made and used microliths for a long time, from about 35,000 years ago until 3,000 years ago. They were found all over the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Microliths were important parts of hunting weapons like spears and arrowheads.

What Are Microliths?

Microliths are small tools made by early humans. They are usually made from strong stones like flint or chert. These stones can be shaped to have very sharp edges. Microliths are special because they are very small. They are often only about one centimeter long.

How Were Microliths Made?

People made microliths from larger pieces of flint or other stone. They would carefully chip off small pieces. This process is called retouching. It helps shape the stone into the tiny tool. When they made microliths, they often left behind a specific type of waste piece. This waste piece is called a microburin. It shows how skilled these early toolmakers were.

There are two main types of microliths. Some are called laminar, which means they are shaped like thin blades. Others are called geometric, meaning they have clear shapes like triangles or trapezoids.

What Were Microliths Used For?

Microliths were mostly used to make hunting weapons. They were attached to the ends of spears. Later, they were also used for arrows. People would use wood, bone, or even sticky tree sap to attach the microliths. This created a strong, sharp point for hunting.

Sometimes, many microliths were used on one weapon. A single spear or harpoon might have had six to eighteen microliths. An arrow, however, usually only needed one or two. Traces of wood with microliths still attached have been found in places like Sweden and England. This shows us how these tools were used long ago.

When and Where Were Microliths Found?

People made microliths for a very long time. They started making them around 35,000 years ago. They continued to use them until about 3,000 years ago. These tiny stone tools have been found across many parts of the world. This includes Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

The use of microliths started to decrease after people began farming. This happened around 8,000 BCE. When people started farming, they needed different kinds of tools. However, some groups of people who continued to hunt a lot still used microliths for a long time.

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  Flint blade

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  Truncated bladelet

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  Backed edge bladelet

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  Dufour bladelet

Images for kids

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  Small lunates from Epipaleolithic site of Mar Dalan, Rawansar , Kermanshah, Zagros

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  Crystal spear tips, ca. 8000–7000 BCE, on display at Sion History museum

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  Châtelperrón points

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  Micro-gravette

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  Azilian point

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  Ahrensburguien point

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  Emireh point

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  El-Wad point

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  El-Khiam point

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  Adelaide point

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  Helwan points (Abu Salem points sub-type)

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  Microburin

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  Trapeze

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  Triangle

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  Lunate

See also

In Spanish: Microlito para niños