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Striking platform
In
lithic reduction
, the
striking
platform
is the surface on the
proximal
portion
of a
lithic flake
on which the detachment
blow
fell
; this may be
natural
or prepared.
Types
of striking
platforms
include:
Cortex
, which consists of an
area
of
cortex
used as
a platform
during initial reduction;
Single-faceted,
consisting of
a flat
platform at
right angles
to the
dorsal surface
of the
flake
and most often associated with conchoidal fractures;
Double-faceted, a
variety
of multifaceted, prepared platform, also characteristically
flat
and associated with conchoidal fractures;
Multifaceted, with three or more
facets
to the platform;
Lipped, a platform type resulting from soft hammer
biface
reduction; and
Crushed
, which occurs when the platform was crushed beyond
easy
recognition
by the detachment blow.