Editing Lithic core (section)

{{Short description|In archaeology, a stone artifact left over from toolmaking}}
{{refimprove|date=October 2014}}
[[Image:Nucleus Brassempouy Global fond.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Lithic core for [[Lithic reduction]] - [[Upper Paleolithic]] (Gravitation) (–29,000 ; –22,000) -[[Brassempouy]], Lands department, France - [[:fr:Muséum de Toulouse|Museum of Toulouse]] ]]
In [[archaeology]], a '''lithic core''' is a distinctive [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifact]] that results from the practice of [[lithic reduction]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Odell |first=George H. |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-1-4419-9009-9 |title=Lithic Analysis |date=2004 |publisher=Springer US |isbn=978-0-306-48068-3 |series=Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique |location=Boston, MA |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-4419-9009-9}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Holdaway |first1=Simon |title=A Record in Stone: The Study of Australia's Flaked Stone Artefacts |last2=Stern |first2=Nicola |date=2004 |publisher=Aboriginal Studies Press |others=Simon Holdaway |isbn=978-0-85575-460-0 |edition=1st |location=Canberra}}</ref>  In this sense, a core is the scarred nucleus resulting from the detachment of one or more [[lithic flake|flake]]s from a lump of source material or [[tool stone]], usually by using a hard hammer precursor such as a [[hammerstone]].  The core is marked with the negative scars of these flakes.  The surface area of the core which received the blows necessary for detaching the flakes is referred to as the striking platform. The core may be discarded or shaped further into a '''core tool''', such as can be seen in some types of [[handaxe]].