NEOLITHIC ARROWHEAD

-2500

An unusual arrowhead for Cornwall but appears to be of the Later Neolithic oblique variety with a fair attempt at ripple flaking on the heavily worked and finely tapered but broken tip.The arrowhead has been worked on a nearly flat flake of brown (possibly imported Beer nodular) flint to a narrow isosceles triangular plan. The bulb of percussion and platform have been bi-facially but semi-abruptly removed to leave a very slightly hollow base and a hint of a barb has been emphasized by a notch worked into the left dorsal surface nearby. The rest of that dorsal margin is unworked until near the tip where it is worked from the ventral surface to meet the free and invasive flaking from the other edge. The simple break across the tip may have been a failure of manufacture. The right dorsal margin is retouched increasingly invasively from base to tip with a medial notch worked through as though later reuse or ancient damage. The ripple flaking towards the tip though only successful for a short sequence is a performance worth applauding and the tiny flakes have an aspect ratio exceeding 6 and a width of 1-2 mm. A fully accomplished example of this miniature master flake-work can be seen on PAS database record: SWYOR-7156A6 and is World Class!