How did prehistoric people use wedges to split logs and rocks?

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A diagram displays six types of simple machines with labeled illustrations: inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever, wheel and axle, and pulley, each shown with real-world examples like ramps, axes, screws, seesaws, door handles, and pulleys lifting objects. — simple machine Six simple machines for transforming energy into work.

In prehistoric times, the wedge—one of the six simple machines—was utilized as a fundamental tool for splitting logs and rocks.

To split rocks, prehistoric people specifically employed wooden wedges that were inserted into crevices and then wetted. As the wood absorbed the water and swelled, it exerted the necessary force to crack the stone. Generally, the wedge functions by tapering to a thin edge, allowing it to convert a force applied in one direction into a powerful sideways force, which is effective for splitting, lifting, or tightening materials.12