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Stone Age Tools
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Neolithic stone tools
The Neolithic period began around 6,000 years
ago when humans first settled down and began farming. They continued to
make tools and weapons from flint and some kinds of tool, such as
scrapers for preparing hides, stayed the same. But the Neolithic also
saw the introduction of new kinds of stone tool. First there was a
movement away from using microliths to make spears and arrows as
composite weapons and instead the universal adoption of flint arrow
heads. Second, the harvesting of grain required new tools such as
scythes and these were made from flint. Neolithic tools were often
retouched all over, by pressure flaking, giving a characteristic appearance and were often
laboriously polished, again giving them a distinctive look. Flake tools
continued to be made in the Neolithic, but they are often more crudely
made than earlier flake tools, like those shown below.
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Neolithic flint arrow head from the South Downs.
46mm x 19mm x4.5mm, 3.8gms
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge
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Polished Neolithic flint axe found in West Sussex.
165mm x 55mm
Some 5,000 years
old.
Private collection
Click to enlarge |
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Neolithic end scraper
from Windmill Hill, West Sussex.
57mm x 58mm x 16mm, 58gms
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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Neolithic end scraper made on a thick
flake
63mm x 58mm x25mm, 110 gms.
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge |
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Neolithic end scraper
found in Hampshire. Around 5,000 years old.
51mm x 36mm x16mm, 33gms.
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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Neolithic flake notched at both edges.
48mm x 35mm x 16mm, 32gms
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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Long Neolithic flake retouched as knife
or side scraper.
73mm x 44mm x19mm, 48gms.
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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Neolithic flake crudely retouched on
both edges as a side scraper.
60mm x 40mm x 9mm, 25 gms.
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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Neolithic side and end
scraper with point Found in West Sussex.
63mm x 29mm x 12mm, 25gms
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge.
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Thick Neolithic blade, possibly used as
side scraper and end scraper.
69mm x 34mm x21mm, 52gms.
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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Thin Mesolithic or Neolithic flake
possibly used as side scraper.
51mm x 30mm x 7mm, 14gms.
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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Mesolthic or Neolithic flake on
unusually pale flint, retouched on both sides and botom as side
and end scraper.
50mm x 35mm x 9mm, 16gms.
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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Very large Neolithic flake retouched as
side scraper.
90mm x 55mm x30mm, 122 gms
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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Mesolithic or Neolithic flake
retouched as side and end scraper.
46mm x 44mm x 12mm, 25 gms.
From Hampshire. Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge.
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Neolithic core, crudley
flaked. Compare with Mesolithic cores.
55mm x 63mm x 40mm, 156 gms
Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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A thick Neolithic flake
used as a core and then retouched as an end scraper
42mm x 50mm x 24mm, 57 gms Around 5,000 years old.
Author's collection
Click to enlarge. |
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