Scraper (archaeology)

In prehistoric archaeology, scrapers are unifacial tools thought to have been used for hideworking and woodworking.

As the term scraper suggests, this tool was scraped at the hide or wood in order to reach the end goal.

Scrapers tended to be large enough to fit comfortably in the hand and could be used without being mounted on wood or bone.

Consequently, the majority of the scrapers that are found on sites are ones that have been resharpened and used to the point of being no longer functional.

The grattoir is a type of scraper usually made of flint and its main uses were to work wood and to clean hides.

This type of scraper is made from a convex blade and is used in more fine tuning work.

Tool size: This can be determined by either weight or dimensions and typically divided into either large or small scrapers.