Abstract: With its rich artifact collections of the Paleolithic, archaeologists use a variety of methods to derive information on human technological behavior from this period. This article reviews the development of lithic analysis, including the birth and evolutionary process of lithic typology. As well the origin, problems and use of the cha?ne opératoire are also discussed. A techno-economical approach is also introduced. Author stress whatever macro-typology, cha?ne opératoire, microwear, residue analysis, is necessary to assess human behavior. Intergrating different methods in lithic analysis is the future direction..

Key words: Paleolithic; Typology; Cha?ne opératoire; Techno-economical; Lithic analysis