The evolution of humanity has been a long and steady process in which stone tool technology played a prominent role for the bulk of human history. Through advancements in lithic technology, humans were able to adapt to different climates, colonize new territories, and produce new inventions. One important breakthrough occurred with the adoption of pressure blade production, which in some places was closely followed by the beginning of the Neolithic way of life and the development of state societies. It may prove to have been a significant step towards the emergence of more complex societies. It was also a valuable acquisition in hunter-gatherer societies, some of which then proceeded to subsist in previously uninhabited environments such as the High Arctic. The advent of pressure blade production undoubtedly constituted a considerable improvement in stone tool technology, and as such formed a major step in the evolution of human kind.

Research on pressure blade making has intensified to the point where we are now able to compile a global overview on the use of this technique, presented for the first time in this volume. The research assembled here covers the origins, development and eventual abandonment of this technology within a variety of geographical and temporal contexts. This seminal effort presents research into past cultures from around the globe, resulting in a comprehensive portrait of pressure blade production.

This work will be an important reference for anyone studying lithic technology and experimental archaeology, or those interested in the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods, as well as the colonization of the New World. More generally, it is of interest to anyone who wants to garner an understanding of the mechanisms of cultural transmission through time and space.

Human development is a long and steady process that began with stone tool making.  Because of this skill, humans were able to adapt to climate changes, discover new territories, and invent new technologies.  "Pressure knapping" is the common term for one method of creating stone tools, where a larger device or blade specifically made for this purpose is use to press out the stone tool.  Pressure knapping was invented in different locations and at different points in time, representing the adoption of the Neolithic way of life in the Old world.

Recent research on pressure knapping has led for the first time to a global thesis on this technique.  The contributors to this seminal work combine research findings on pressure knapping from different cultures around the globe to develope a cohesive theory.  This contributions to this volume represents a significant development to research on pressure knapping, as well as the field of lithic studies in general.

This work will be an important reference for anyone studying the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods, lithic studies, technologies, and more generally, cultural transmission.