This essential gives an overview of current methods of analysis of stone artefacts ranging from attribute analysis of entire inventories to microscopic analyses of traces of use of individual artefacts. The presented approaches show the range of analysis of prehistoric stone artefacts in the German-speaking area. Simple examples of application illustrate the possibilities and limitations of each method. The content and structure of the essentials is identical to teaching units for learning methods of stone artefact analysis at the University of Tübingen in the Department of Early Prehistory.

Yvonne Tafelmaier is a consultant for the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic at the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege in Baden-Württemberg.

Guido Bataille is a consultant in the World Heritage department at the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments in Baden-Württemberg.

Viola C. Schmid and Andreas Taller are research assistants at the Institute for Pre- and Early History & Medieval Archaeology at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.

Manuel Will is a research assistant at the Institute for Pre- and Early History & Medieval Archaeology at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.