should I have reported this ?

[peanut]

I found this flint blade whilst detecting at the Andover rally earlier this summer lying on the surface. I noticed that there were other flints and non metal artifacts marked on the FLO's logging sheet but forgot to mention it whilst in the tent. To be honest I couldn't get a word in edgeways as someone was batting on about local Archaeology most of the afternoon 

I don't recall seeing anything quite like this before. The knapping is quite clear but the shape looked weird until I explored the differant ways it could be placed in the hand. Then it suddenly made perfect sense.

It fits securely  in the crook of my forefinger and sits in my palm so perfectly that I would be able to use it as a knife applying some considerable force ,without the needto use  my thumb to grip it !
There is even a tiny scoop for the second finger tip to sit and grip.

Cutting up birds and animals for food must have been a very messy business and I would imagine you'd need to have your blade fit well in your hand to avoid it slipping out of your grasp every few seconds due to the blood and guts ....

This is the second blade that I have found and I'm beginning to be quite interested .  Anyone any idea of era ?

[jtalbot0001]

Hi Peanut,

I don't want to dampen your spirits, but from the pictures you have posted I would have said that was a natural flint rather than a worked flint. And just because it sits snug in your fingers doesn't mean to say it is a flint implement, it could easily be just coincidence. Is there any working along the edge, has the edge been sharpended in any way? It just looks naturally smooth from the pictures you posted? Just remember its just my opinion, so don't take my word for it.

Cheers, Jon

[peanut]

sorry the images are very small due to the pixel limit. I thought that the knapping marks around the edge still showed up clearly though.
. . I'll try host a high def image on flickr tomorrow.
 I know nothing whatsoever about flint tools but it certainly looks like its been worked to my inexperienced eye.

[Meatslicer]

This looks like a piece of quartz, given the knobbly bits on one end. Flint would be darker and more like flat glass or toffee on the surface. The surface of this is a bit ripply and irregular to be a piece of flint.

Eric

[archie]

difficult to tell from th pics whether its quartz or flint - seems quite a lot of inclusions in the structure, but who's to say a quartz flake wouldn't do the same job short term - any port in a storm  if needed

[Val Beechey]

Hi Peanut

I love finding flints, they're so tactile. Have a look on the Flint Tool Museum site for some ideas. I've found from experience that it can be hard to tell with some finds whether they are tools or just natural breakages. I had several I thought were something and turned out to be nothing when an Archi. looked at them.
Seems they don't have a section through PAS to record flints but I'm sure they'd be interested if you found an area full of them. That, it seems, shows signs of habitation.
I'm sure your local Museum would advise. Keep looking, you never know.

Val

[Chef Geoff]

I've no problem with the colour as flint can and does come in every shade from white to black, also the surface could point to it being a "green chert" which are just as common.
But the chalcedony fills (bubbles) on the one edge would point to it being most likely quartz. Not sure if it's just the pictures but there is no sign as far as I can see of any form of knapping having taken place. So sorry but I would have to agree with others that it's probably a natural stone.

[Chef Geoff]

Hi Val, Pas do have flint tools though you need to search the item by usage ie. arrowhead, spearhead, knife etc then narrow the search by period, mesolithic, neolithic, bronze age etc

[Val Beechey]

I bow to your superior knowledge Geoff. Just looked at my E.Mail from Mark Lodwick and it was Fossils we were talking about NOT flints.
The old grey matter gets a bit muddled these days.

Val

[Chef Geoff]

Well I'de like to say thank you on the "superior knowledge" bit but I'm afraid although its broad it's not very deep and most of it has only come from making lots and lots of mistakes in the past

[peanut]

I've no problem with the colour as flint can and does come in every shade from white to black, also the surface could point to it being a "green chert" which are just as common.
But the chalcedony fills (bubbles) on the one edge would point to it being most likely quartz. Not sure if it's just the pictures but there is no sign as far as I can see of any form of knapping having taken place. So sorry but I would have to agree with others that it's probably a natural stone.

I hear what you say Geoff and I'm sure that you are probably right but I just feel sometimes we don't really think about how our  ancestors lived on a daily basis.

I could imagine that if our stoneage friends went out to hunt or trap . animals .they might find themselves out on the Salisbury plain without something to cut up and skin an animal and would probably  'knock something up' very crudely from whatever was to-hand . Ie a 'disposable' flint blade.?

Thank you everyone for taking an interest and responding. I might take the two pieces of flint along to the next rally and have FLO check them out.

[Chef Geoff]

I'm sure your right Peanut, if they could break a stone whether it was flint, chert or even limestone and it was sharp then I think they would of used it. Knapping could even of been a skill that was artisanal and you would have to trade to get a good knife or axe, so for everyday around the...... um uh? "Hut" they may well have utilised whatever came to hand.