Flint knapping, which is the shaping of flint or other fracturing
stone to manufacture tools, was one of the primary skills used for
survival by our prehistoric ancestors. Early mankind once made and
used these implements on a daily basis to hunt, prepare food and
clothing, to farm, make shelters, and perform all the other tasks
required for Stone Age existence.
A material that has been with us since earliest times, flint still plays
a part in our lives today: it is used in cigarette, gas and barbeque
lighters; in some parts of Britain it is a major building material; and
many of our beaches have shingle which is just flint by another name.
In this informative and original guide, expert Robert Turner explains
how flint was used, what tools were made and what they were made for,
and provides detailed instruction of how to make them, enabling the
reader to replicate their own Stone Age toolkit. Illustrated
throughout, Flint Knapping is a journey of archaeological discovery
through the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Ages.