Wiktionary
n. (context archaeology English) A type of stone used to hit or strike in a similar way to a modern-day hammer.
Wikipedia
In archaeology, a hammerstone is a hard cobble used to strike off lithic flakes from a lump of tool stone during the process of lithic reduction. The hammerstone is a rather universal stone tool which appeared early in most regions of the world including Europe, India and North America. This technology was of major importance to prehistoric cultures before the age of metalworking.
Usage examples of "hammerstone".
The first time she worked the flint, she had searched for a hammerstone that felt good in her hand and had the right resilience when struck against flint.
Anyone could rough out a flint tool, but the truly fine ones were made by expert toolmakers who cared for their implements and knew how to keep a hammerstone spirit happy.
Ayla worried about the spirit of her hammerstone, though she never had before.
She put the hammerstone aside and examined a sturdy piece of legbone from a grazing animal for signs of splintering from the last time she used it.
She picked up the hammerstone, hefted it a few times to get the right grip, then put it down.
They had a bulge, a bulb of percussion, on the end of the flake where the hammerstone struck, but they tapered to a sharp edge.
She reached for another chalky nodule of flint and her hammerstone, and struck the outer covering.
She looked at the flint again, wondered if she could make some usable flakes from it, and picked up her hammerstone again.
She broke off one flake, but it needed retouching, so she put her hammerstone down and reached for a stone retoucher.
The piece she had flaked off had a thick bulge where the hammerstone had struck -- the bulb of percussion -- and tapered to a thin edge on the opposite end.
Supporting it with his thigh, he held it with his left hand, and, with his right, he reached for the hammerstone and juggled it to get the right feel.
It was new, still unfamiliar, and each hammerstone had its own individuality.
The ridge was still rough and wavy when the cortex was removed, and he put the hammerstone down to pick up a solid length of antler that had been cut off below the first fork to eliminate all branches.
Jondalar picked up his hammerstone, an oval stone, dented and chipped from use, that fit comfortably in his hand, and began knocking off the balance of the chalky cortex in preparation for working it.
He reached for a large nodule of flint, and with his hammerstone, he smashed it open.