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Description: | Small flint flake of probable Neolithic date (3500 - 2100 BC). The flake is irregular in plan and sub-triangular in cross section. The bulb of percussion on the reverse of the flake is complete and there is evidence of a number of hinge fractures on the opposite (front) surface. It is likely that this flake was a by-product (or waste flake / debitage) of tool making as there is a small amount of cortex (rough outer skin of the flint nodule) on the artefact. This area cortex covers less than 15% of the total surface area suggesting that this flake was produced during the second phase of tool production. This waste flake has then been re-used or utilised to form a small notched scraper. The evidence for this is the extensive secondary flaking or retouch along one edge.
The flint flake is a mid grey colour, when held up to the light a number of flaws can be seen in it. This suggests that it might have come from a riverine or glacial source rather than from an area where flint occurs more frequently. This type of tool is typical of the Herefordshire / Marches area as sites for procuring flint are limited. This results in primary and secondary waste flakes being utilised to make tools such as this scraper. | Format: | text/html | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ | Publisher: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Rights holder: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Subjects: | archaeology | Temporal: | -3500
-2100 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Peter Reavill | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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