Rights Holder: Somerset County Council
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Unique ID: DEV-40A263
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age flint borer, probably dating to c. 3300-1600 BC. A secondary flake, with c. <5% of cortex remaining on the distal end of both the dorsal and ventral faces, the flint is a pale amber-brown, significantly mottled with inclusions which are both paler and darker in colour. The flake is sub-hexagonal in plan, with two concave edges creating an inverted "keeled" shape. The cross section is irregular.
A striking platform and point of percussion survive at the proximal end, with a relatively large bulb of percussion and very pronounced conchoidal ripple marks. The removal terminated in a pronounced hinge, probably due to the cortex still present on the distal end. There is a small, slightly hinged scar on the bulb of percussion, but which opposes the direction of the flake's removal, and is presumably associated with the subsequent working of the flake. There are five flake-like negative removal scars on the dorsal face, struck from at least 4 different directions, although it seems likely that each was struck from a separate platform. At least two of these removals were hinged.
On the right (when viewed from the dorsal face) mesal edge of the flake retouch has been used to create/emphasise a triangular protrusion which uitilises the crest between two removals as a central ridge. The distal edge of this protrusion is retouched on the dorsal face (Short, sub-parallel, semi-abrupt), and the proximal edge retouched on the ventral (Short, sub-parallel, semi-abrupt). The proximal end of the dorsal face has also been irregularly retouched from the striking platform (long, sub-parallel/stepped), creating a slight depression which presumably made the flint more comfortable to hold.
The other point of the keel exhibits a small amount of short, sub-parallel abrupt retouch at the very point, probably blunting it. The point curves ventrally and was part of the larger hinge of the overall flake removal, with the concavity below (on the left mesal edge of the dorsal face) separating this point from the remainder of the hinge at the distal end. Although there is no definitive retouch along this curve, the flint would have been extremely thin at this point, and it appears to have been irregularly "nibbled" into its current extremely regular curve - forming a natural rest for the knuckle or fore finger when held in the right hand.
Dimensions: Length 33.5mm; Width 53.3mm; Thickness 10.3mm; Weight 17.27g.
The crude working of the flake, with broad removals, the likely use of a hard-hammer and evidence for multi-directional working togther all suggest a probable date range in later pre-history, probably in the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: NEOLITHIC
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: BRONZE AGE
Date from: Circa 3300 BC
Date to: Circa 1600 BC
Quantity: 1
Length: 33.5 mm
Width: 53.3 mm
Thickness: 10.3 mm
Weight: 17.27 g
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 15th May 2016 - Sunday 15th May 2016
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Other reference: SCC receipt: 017359
Primary material: Flint
Manufacture method: Knapped/flaked
Completeness: Complete
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.