Chopper
Cutting and sawing of fibrous materials
Mousterian
300 000 and 45 000 years
Pieces with a denticulated edge were previously referred to as a “saw-knife” or “shouldered knife”.
M.N. Brézillon, La dénomination des objets de pierre taillée. Supplément à Gallia Préhistoire. CNRS, Paris. 1968
Commentary :
The jagged edge of a denticulate tool, is characterized by a series of small notches, separated by sharp teeth.Despite their technical simplicity, these tools are very effective for working wood, cutting plant fibres, or even for cutting hides and ligaments. Regardless of their size or general form, all denticulate tools possess the same capacity to cut and saw resistant materials. Large numbers of denticulate tools have been recovered from Mousterian sites, dedicated to the slaughter and processing of animal carcasses. Along with other cutting tools, denticulates form part of the butchery kit of Neanderthal hunters.