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How did the Levallois technique make Mousterian stone tools?

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Neanderthal Artist's rendering of Homo neanderthalensis, who ranged from western Europe to Central Asia for some 100,000 years before dying out approximately 30,000 years ago.

The Levallois technique was a sophisticated method of stone-flaking used to produce tools within the Mousterian industry. Rather than simply striking a rock, the process involved careful preparation of a stone core.12

To create these tools, the maker would trim a core—often shaped like an inverted tortoise shell—in a precise manner. By knapping the edges of the core, the toolmaker created a specific geometry that allowed for the removal of a large, preshaped flake with a single, skillfully applied final blow. These flakes were characterized by one flat side and sharp cutting edges, making them immediately useful as implements such as scrapers or triangular points.13

Once detached, these flakes were often further refined through retouching with hammer stones to improve their utility. This method represents an advanced level of planning and precision, as the final form of the tool was largely determined by the initial preparation of the core before the flake was even struck.23