thumb|right|Drawing of tool with denticulate [[retouch (lithics)|retouch]]
thumb|Denticulate tool from the Mesolithic period with a clear serrated edge
thumb|Two denticulate tools with large notches
In archaeology, a denticulate tool is a stone tool containing one or more edges that are worked into multiple notched shapes (or teeth), much like the toothed edge of a saw. Such tools have been used as saws for woodworking, processing meat and hides, craft activities and for agricultural purposes. Denticulate tools were used by many different groups worldwide and have been found at a number of notable archaeological sites. They can be made from a number of different lithic materials, but a large number of denticulate tools are made from flint.
Due to the nature of denticulate tools they can be difficult to classify, this leads to what is known as a 'typology dilemma'. It can be difficult for archaeologists to sort and classify these tools because it is impossible for them to know if the notches were created intentionally, or if they are a result of unintentional damage.
Uses
Denticulate tools have many different uses which can differ based on the material, size and shape of the tool. The tools can be used for woodworking,
Woodworking
Experiments carried out by archaeologists found that using denticulate tools "seem to provide more control when working wood than a raw flake or even a scraper might", because they hold their position well on the wood because of the notches. Jiahu, Shigu and Egou in China
Pech de l'Azé IV
thumb|Reconstruction of a [[Neanderthal skull - these are the people who would have been using the denticulate tools found at the European sites ]]
Pech de l'Azé IV is an archaeological site located in the south of France which was the home to Neanderthals during the Ice Age, 90,000-30,000 BCE. Over 20,000 lithic tools were found at the site during the most recent excavations, including 43 denticulate tools, which for the purpose of this excavation were classified as "types which have two or more adjacent notches".
Payre
Payre is site located in Southeast France, by the Rhone River and human remains excavated at the site reveal that it was home to humans of the Neanderthal lineage. Researchers identified a number of stone tools at the site, which included 49 denticulates, made from either flint or quartz. However, denticulate tools only made up a small number of the lithic tools found at this site. In ancient Egypt flint denticulate tools adhered to wooden handles were used to reap grain from the 5th to 4th millennia BC.
Raw Materials
thumb|A denticulate tool made from [[flint ]]
Denticulate tools are usually made from flint, Even Bordes himself found it difficult when attempting to classify denticulate tools within his typology. The question then becomes:
“should the term denticulates be restricted to tools intentionally retouched or encompass all tools with adjacent notches whatever the origin of the latter is?” Sometimes artefacts are thrown away because they are not recognised as artefacts at all, for example, an early excavator at the site of site of Combe-Capelle Bas discarded all the denticulate tools because they did not recognise them as 'valid tool types'.