SCRAPER (TOOL)

Small tertiary flake which has been utilised as a scraper of probable earlier Neolithic date (3500BC - 2500BC). The flint flake is sub-oval in plan and sub-rectangular in profile. The bulb of percussion is missing and is likely to have been trimmed from the artefact during preparation. The area of secondary reworking (retouch) covers all of the edges of the flake. The retouch is uniform in shape being formed from small narrow bladed facets. It seems likely that this flake was a by-product (or waste flake) of tool making, however, there is no evidence of cortex (rough outer skin of the flint nodule) on the artefact. This would suggest that it came from the final phase of tool production. The large amount of retouch, and the relatively large size of the flake, would suggest it is used as some form of scraping tool. It is unusual to have retouch applied to all faces of the flake and as such this piece may have had a number of functional uses. The scraper measures 32.8mm length, 26.6mm width, is 8.2mm thick and weighs 9.19 grams.

The flint flake is a mid brown honey colour with a number of lighter and darker seams running through it. When held up to the light a number of flaws can be seen in the flint. 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 Marches area as sites for procuring flint are limited. This results waste flakes being reused to make tools such as this scraper.