DEBITAGE

A collection of five retouched flint flakes of posible Mesolithic date (c. 10,000 - 4000 BC). Two of the pieces are sub-triangular in plan and sub-triangular in cross section. Another is sub-triangular in plan and long, narrow and sub-trapezoidal in cross-section. One is sub-rectangular in plan and and sub-trapezoidal in cross-section. Another is sub-oval in plan and sub-lozenge or lens shaped in cross-section.

Two of the pieces are secondary flakes, retaining about 5 to 20 per cent of their cortex, the other three are tertiary flakes. Two of the pieces exhibit a bulb of percussion, missing from the other three due to later, accidental or post-depositional breakage. Of the three broken flakes, one has a clean flat break at the proximal end (judging by the direction of the faint conchoidal ripples), another has a similar break at the distal end, and the third has irregular breaks at both ends.

Retouch on four of these pieces is limited to short lengths of one or other of the mesal edges. This is short, scaled and semi-abrupt. The fifth (top left in the photo) has, invasive, stepped, low-angled retouch covering about two thirds of its ventral face. These and the pointed end may suggest the sherd was originally a borer which has been broken either through use or post-deposition althogh it is not possible to confirm this. Alternatively, these may be the scars of previous flake removals.

The pieces are a range of colours: black, dark brown, light brown, glossy mid-grey, with a matte light-grey striation, and mid-brown with light-grey mottles. The thinner pieces are semi-translucent.

The total weight of the collection is: 14.80g