Usewear-induced deposition on prehistoric flint tools

Abstract The use of stone tools on different materials produces different types of polish. Its microscopic appearance and chemical composition vary with the worked material and is an indicator of the tool's use. The PIXE method was used to investigate the composition of the polish produced by working bone and specific woods. For a set of experimental tools, the most abundant polish element was Ca, the surface density of which reached several 10 μg/cm 2 . The deposition of P is correlated to that of Ca and these two elements can be used to distinguish between working bone and wood. For archaeological artefacts, deposits were found which were comparable to those on the experimental tools, thus implying their probable use on wood and bone.