Indian flint flakers. — Primitive peoples shape stones by four processes — flaking, pecking, abrading, and cutting. Fracture processes were probably first to come into general use. Splinters or flakes produced by striking one brittle stone against another become useful as arrowheads, knives, perforators, and scrapers. Skillful flaking enables the workman to shape implements with great neatness. Larger implements were made by flaking an entire stone, thus reducing it to the form of a blade. The most remarkable work of this class known is that observed in a variety of large flint knife found occasionally in ancient Egyptian tombs.