The induction of indentations in brittle materials and their evaluation result in information useful for the characterization of materials. In addition to the fracture-mechanical evaluation of the indentations, i.e. of the incipient cracks resulting from them, the cracks may be used for determining the fracture toughness,information regarding the hardness, critical size of surface defects, characteristic quantities of crack propagation, durability, as well as existing internal stresses.