Description

Mesolithic flint retoucher. Flint is very sharp when it is freshly knapped but blunts very quickly. Sometimes tools called “retouchers” were used to more precisely re-knap other tools such as knives or handaxes to give them a sharp edge again without needing to knap an entirely new tool. Whereas hammerstones were used in regular knapping when starting with a much larger piece and where power was more important, these retouchers worked on a much smaller scale and gave the knapper much more control.

Object Name

Scraper

Accession Number

1976/372

Category

prehistory

Site Location

Larkhill, Gloucestershire

Tags

Mesolithic, scraper