Bulb of Applied Force

In lithic analysis, a subdivision of archaeology, a bulb of applied force (also known as a bulb of percussion or simply bulb of force) is a defining characteristic of a lithic flake. When a flake is detached from its parent core, a portion of the Hertzian cone of force caused by the detachment blow is detached with it, leaving a distinctive bulb on the flake and a corresponding flake scar on the core. Bulbs of applied force may be distinctive, moderate, or diffuse, depending upon the force of the blow used to detach the flake, and upon the type of material used as a fabricator. Generally, the harder the material used as a fabricator, the more distinctive the bulb of applied force.


Famous quotes containing the words bulb, applied and/or force:

    “... until the shopkeeper plants his boot in our eyes,
    and unties our bone and is finished with the case,
    and turns to the next customer, forgetting our face
    or how we knelt at the yellow bulb with sighs
    like moth wings for a short while in a small place.”
    —Anne Sexton (1928–1974)

    “That a good fit between parental handling and child temperament is vital to help children adapt to the imperatives of their society is a crucial concept that can be applied to other cultures.”
    —Stella Chess (20th century)

    “Americans have internalized the value that mothers of young children should be mothers first and foremost, and not paid workers. The result is that a substantial amount of confusion, ambivalence, guilt, and anxiety is experienced by working mothers. Our cultural expectations of mother and realities of female participation in the labor force are directly contradictory.”
    —Ruth E. Zambrana, U.S. researcher, M. Hurst, and R.L. Hite. “The Working Mother in Contemporary Perspectives: A Review of Literature,” Pediatrics (December 1979)