microlithic
9.9
Relating to very small stone tools like tiny blades used by prehistoric people
- adjective
- /ˌmaɪkrəˈlɪθɪk/
- Specialized
:
microlítico
- Researchers studied microlithic artifacts to learn more about the lifestyle of early hunter-gatherers.
Examples
-
Delicate "microlithic" blades found very close to Xiaochangliang are the work of later hunters and gatherers who were physically modern humans.
Academic text (1994) -
Archaeologists discovered microlithic tools buried deep in the ancient layers of the site.
-
The museum displayed a collection of microlithic implements used by prehistoric communities.
How Small
Surface Forms
microlithic positive
Morphology
microlithic = microlith (semi-transparent) = micro + lith + ic
The adjectival suffix -ic is added straightforwardly to microlith, but the base noun itself is specialized.
Etymology
Microlithic comes from micro- meaning 'very small' and -lithic meaning 'stone', like in Neolithic ('new stone age'). So microlithic tools are very small stone tools made in prehistoric times.