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Date: |
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Description: | Knapped and flaked flint knife blade / scraper of later Neolithic date (3000-2000BC). The scraper is unusual as it is formed from a large piece / flake of secondary debitage. It seems to have been formed crudely and possibly discarded relatively swiftly; this is unusual in an area which has very small natural reserves of flint. The scraper / knife is broadly oval in plan and oval in cross section. It has multiple flaking facets on both faces, some of which seem to have been used to remove relatively narrow blades whilst others larger flakes. There are also a number of irregular uncontrolled flakes which may be recent damage in the ploughzone. A small area of yellow cortex is present on the dorsal face. From this area of cortex relatively neat flake scars emanate. The ventral face has also been heavily flaked, although here there are a number of hinge fractures suggesting uncontrolled flaking. Secondary flaking / retouch has been applied to the curved outer edge of the flake on both faces. This suggests that a relatively neat scraping edge was originally present. The scraper has been struck from a mid grey coloured flint which is slightly mottled in colour. It is likely to be from a secondary source, possibly riverine or glacial as flint is not found in primary locations within Shropshire. There are also a number of flaws in the matrix of the flint, associated with the mottled areas; this again suggests a relatively poor source of flint. The purpose / function of this tool is problematic, in that it can be used as a scraper / fabricator and also be described as a knife. Similar examples from Wales and the Marches have been described as 'slug knives' in that they are shaped broadly like large slugs. The term bi-facially worked ovate knife could possibly be used to describe this - although in my opinion this is probably suggesting a better quality of knapping than is present in this example.The scraper measures 59.1mm length, 31.7mm width, is 14.6mm thick and weighs 32.79 grams.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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