LITHIC IMPLEMENT

A set of three Mesolithic flint tools all found together at a single location, a known source of Mesolithic flint implements of various types. All three are broadly bifacial, with retouching evident, but are representative of a graver, and two microliths which are described respectively below: The graver is of a dark, almost black flint, and almost appears to be coated in translucent bubbles, which are in reality very rough scars from a short and sharp knapping process. These scars appear on all three of this particular graver's main removal platforms, but other minor ones do not seem to demonstrate the same degree of haste. This tool is broadly triangular, and although the edges do not fall away as regularly as those in Bond (2001, 107, 112) is still considered to represent this tool type as the closest parallel. Height: 34.69mm, Width: 28.49mm, Thickness: 8.07mm The microlith is of a grey brown flint, with a small area of the cortex remaining on the dorsal face. It is this small area of cortex which removes any claim of symmetry for the tool, as it would otherwise be a kite shaped polyhedron. It is suggested that this microlith is of a hollow based, 'Horsham' type, like a more regular but nonetheless similar example in Bond (2001, 115; ref. 18). Microliths were generally side-mounted into wooden shafts, to be used as quickly replaceable points in arrows or other projectiles, and the shape of this point reflects that as the left face is wider than the right, ideal for the right to be mounted while the left remains the cutting surface. The lack of finishing also implies the 'throwaway' nature of microliths. Height: 30.15mm, Width: 24.9mm, Thickness: 5.93mm The final tool from this locality is almost leaf-shaped, with a fine curving point veering off to the left side, considered to be for mounting purposes, like the irregular cortex point on the previous example. It is of the same grey-brown flint, and represents a lunate type microlith- as it presents a semi-circular shape when viewed horizontally, as it would have been mounted in the original projectile. A very similar example may be found in Bond (2001, 115; ref. 19) and both microliths recorded here date the assemblage to the late Mesolithic due to their hollow flaked diagnostic features, and their features suggest also that they are late even in the hollow flaked typology, moving towards the development of tangs - features clearly visible and in development on both microliths. Height: 33.26mm, Width: 17.61mm, Thickness: 4.48mm