Selecting the appropriate raw material for the type of tool to be made is the first step. Because not all stones have the same properties, not all tools can be made with the same type of rock. Realizing that not all stones have the same utility helps us understand the paths cultures can take. “If the Channel Islands only had obsidian, for example, the Chumash economy could have been entirely different,” noted Arnold. The Chumash culture was shaped in part by its emphasis on shell-bead production. Shell beads were manufactured with microliths (stone drills); obsidian, given its brittle nature, would never have been suitable. What would Chumash culture have been like if they had never been able to produce beads? What other path might they have taken? It is easy to see that the availability of raw materials has an effect on the types of tools manufactured in a particular culture.

The earliest stone tools manufactured were made from quartzite and basalt, easy-to-work-with types of stone. As stone tools became more complex, so did the process of manufacture. “You can break almost any block, but you cannot actually direct force on any rock,” asserted Wake. Obsidian can be used to produce sharp and capable blades, for example, but it is not an easy material to work. It can contain inclusions, which can cause deflection in an unwanted direction. Wearing a pair of safety goggles and wielding a hammerstone, Wake demonstrated the effect of “exploding obsidian,” which is a piece of obsidian that has too many inclusions and, as a result, cannot be effectively worked.

After the material is chosen, the stone is prepared so that larger flakes can pop off; finally a flake is driven off the stone‹using direct or indirect percussion. Both percussion techniques are more accurate if the edge or platform has been prepared. “One must be knowledgeable in how to vector energy in order to drive off a flake,” noted Wake. Showing the group where he wanted to break off a flake, Wake hammered into the obsidian, driving off a flake in the opposite direction to where he started. That is why, Wake asserts, “edge preparation is the mantra for lithic manufactures.”

Hard hammers (sometimes called hammerstones), consisting of some other solid stone, are used to drive off flakes. The flake is then shaped and retouched using soft hammers, made from stone, antler, bone, or wood.

After the demonstration, the audience was invited to attempt to make an obsidian tool. Although many who attended may never become proficient stone toolmakers, the program taught the attendees that simply participating in the process can provide insight into ancient technologies and that much can be learned from the attempt.