Surface modifications of flint tools and their functional meaning

The possibility to interpret prehistoric tools function, that in many cases constitutes the only preserved evidence of a certain human group activities, allows to acquire information on the poor knowledge of prehistoric daily way of life such as subsistence strategies and environmental exploitation adopted during prehistory. Starting with the English translation, in 1964, of the reference work of the sovietic archaeologist S. A. Semenov Prehistoric Technology, the discipline of functional analysis on prehistoric stone tools became more and more diffused since becoming nowadays a very significant issue for the studies on stone tools operative chains. The method is based on the recognition of the microscopic alterations that endures the surface of stone tools (among which flint is one of the most used) when the rock surface enters in contact with the worked material. The information that can be obtained from this type of study regard the activity carried out by the implement (its cinematic e.g. to abrade, to cut) and the worked material (skin, bone, wood). The heuristic devices suitable for the observation of use-wear traces are currently optical and electronic microscopes (metallographic microscope, SEM and AFM). In this paper we propose an overview on such methodological application in the field of prehistoric studies with reference to the on going research.