What is the process of making chipped stone artifacts called?

The process of making chipped stone artifacts is referred to as flintknapping. This technique involves striking a piece of stone, often flint or chert, with a harder material to produce sharp-edged tools or points. Flintknapping has been a critical skill for prehistoric societies, allowing them to create cutting tools and weapons essential for survival. The precision involved in flintknapping demonstrates not only the technological abilities of early humans but also their understanding of the materials they worked with.

The other choices, while related to material culture, refer to different processes: pottery making involves shaping and firing clay, cast molding pertains to creating objects from molten materials like metal or plastic poured into a mold, and stone casting involves forming objects by pouring liquid materials into a stone mold. These processes do not involve the direct chipping and shaping of stone in the same way flintknapping does.