a stone tool that was widespread during the Paleolithic period. The side-scraper was especially characteristic of the Mousterian culture, but it was also used during earlier and later stages of the Paleolithic. It consisted of a flake of stone, sometimes oval, sometimes nearly rectangular with rounded corners, and sometimes irregular in shape, with a slightly convex or straight cutting edge carefully flaked by chipping or pressure along one or both of the longer sides. Side-scrapers were used to scrape and cut wood and animal skins. Some may have had wooden handles.