In anthropology, a blank usually refers to a roughly shaped piece of stone (or other raw material) that has been intentionally prepared to serve as the starting point for making a tool. It is not yet a finished artifact but represents an intermediate stage in lithic technology.

🌍 Definition

• Blank (Lithic Technology): A preform or intermediate piece struck from a core, intended for further modification into a tool.
• Morphology:
  • Often elongated flakes, blades, or nodules.
  • May show minimal shaping but lacks final retouch.
• Contrast:
  • Core: The parent stone from which flakes/blanks are removed.
  • Blank: The flake or piece selected for toolmaking.
  • Finished Tool: The retouched artifact (scraper, point, knife, etc.).

🔑 Archaeological Contexts

• Stone Tool Production:
  • Blanks are struck from prepared cores in blade industries (Upper Paleolithic, Mesoamerican obsidian workshops).
  • Expedient toolkits may use blanks directly with little modification.
• Diagnostic Value:
  • Archaeologists identify blanks to reconstruct reduction sequences and technological strategies.
• Materials:
  • Flint, chert, obsidian, quartzite—stones with predictable fracture patterns.

📚 Importance in Anthropology

• Technological Insight: Blanks reveal planning and foresight in tool production.
• Cultural Identity: Different societies favored specific blank forms (e.g., blade blanks vs. flake blanks).
• Comparative Value: Studying blanks helps distinguish between expedient vs. standardized tool industries.
• Material Culture Link: Blanks embody the transition from raw material to functional artifact.

In short: In anthropology, a blank is a prepared stone flake or piece intended as the starting point for toolmaking, representing the intermediate stage between raw core and finished artifact.