NEOLITHIC FLAKE

-4500

The ventral face has a clear bulb. A notch has been formed from this face on the right margin. The distal end has a snapped margin. The dorsal face is flat with thinning, long, semi-abrupt pressure flaking towards the proximal and right margins. The right margin from the notch to the proximal end has abrupt retouch to blunt it. This means that fingertip holds exist opposite the sharp margin. Eureka! we have a miniature backed knife.The piece is made from a light brown flint with cream inclusions. It is probably derived from a local beach pebble but this is difficult to confirm with only tertiary cortex.Mercer (1981) illustrates a similar piece on Page 129 Fig 56 No L104 from a site dated to the early Neolithic period, which he calls an edge trimmed flake.