Rounding can help to eliminate possible worked materials. However, this variable cannot be correlated one to one with hide scraping because experiments have demonstrated that rounding sometimes occurs when hide is worked and sometimes not. The amount of rounding may be related to the presence of grit and dirt on the hide rather than the hide itself, and these particles are too small to monitor accurately during experiments. The polish distribution is recorded because of the possible correlation with topographical features already recorded. The different amount of contact can produce different levels of polish development even though the tool was used on the same material.
Polish distribution can also indicate possible motions.
The projections caused by the retouch will often be polished without the intervening surface being effected. An intermittent or continuous distribution by itself is not very informative. It is only when such variables are considered in relation to others that the origin of the distribution can be interpreted and related to function. This distribution is caused by the surface of the tool rubbing against the worked material. This most often occurs with grooving tools, because the edge is rubbing along the side of the groove rather than cutting into the worked material.