The gloss or residue forms due to the abrasive action of silica found in both wild and cultivated cereal grasses.
The earliest known occurrence of sickle-gloss is on flint-knapped blades from the Natufian culture (12,500 to 9500 BC) in the Middle East, mainly in Israel.
It is also speculated that gloss may form from cutting canes or reeds, woodworking, or even hoeing or digging.
Cutting Graminae Tools and 'Sickle Gloss' Formation outlines four main theories regarding the origins of sickle-gloss: Additionally, there is debate about the significance of sickle-gloss in understanding the rise of agriculture and its role as an indicator of reaping grasses in Epipaleolithic and early Neolithic societies.
This issue is less relevant in late Neolithic societies due to their documented use of sickles for agriculture.