Human Uses Of Flint And Chert

This 1987 volume presents thirty papers on the archaeological uses of flint. They were presented at the Fourth International Flint Symposium in 1983, and together they give an interdisciplinary review. For publication by Cambridge, each paper has been carefully edited. The topics include: flint technology, particularly the experimental reconstruction of the manufacturing process; wear traces on flint implements; the mining and quarrying of flint in prehistory; and models for chert exchanges. The companion volume, The Scientific Study of Flint and Chert, is edited by G. de G. Sieveking and M. B. Hart.

These twenty papers dedicated to Mike Tite focus upon the interpretation of ancient artefacts and technologies, particularly through the application of materials analysis. Instruments from the human eye to mass spectrometry provide insights into a range of technologies ranging from classical alum extraction to Bronze Age wall painting, and cover materials as diverse as niello, flint, bronze, glass and ceramic. Ranging chronologically from the Neolithic through to the medieval period, and geographically from Britain to China, these case studies provide a rare overview which will be of value to students, teachers and researchers with an interest in early material culture.

This collection aims to refocus archaeological and anthropological interest in technology.

The thirty papers in this 1986 volume review the scientific knowledge of the nature of flint and chert at this time. These papers were presented at a 1983 interdisciplinary and international conference on flint and other cherts. Each contribution has been meticulously assessed and edited prior to publication. This collection is principally concerned with the geology and geochemistry of flint in European chert. Topics include the origin of flint; scanning electron microscopy of surface textures; and the behaviour of flint under periglacial conditions. There is a companion volume, edited by G. de G. Sieveking and M. B. Hart, on the archaeological uses of flint.

Flintknapping is an ancient craft enjoying a resurgence of interest among both amateur and professional students of prehistoric cultures. In this new guide, John C. Whittaker offers the most detailed handbook on flintknapping currently available and the only one written from the archaeological perspective of interpreting stone tools as well as making them. Flintknapping contains detailed, practical information on making stone tools. Whittaker starts at the beginner level and progresses to discussion of a wide range of techniques. He includes information on necessary tools and materials, as well as step-by-step instructions for making several basic stone tool types. Numerous diagrams allow the reader to visualize the flintknapping process, and drawings of many stone tools illustrate the discussions and serve as models for beginning knappers. Written for a wide amateur and professional audience, Flintknapping will be essential for practicing knappers as well as for teachers of the history of technology, experimental archaeology, and stone tool analysis.

Humans at the End of the Ice Age chronicles and explores the significance of the variety of cultural responses to the global environmental changes at the last glacial-interglacial boundary. Contributions address the nature and consequences of the global climate changes accompanying the end of the Pleistocene epoch-detailing the nature, speed, and magnitude of the human adaptations that culminated in the development of food production in many parts of the world. The text is aided by vital maps, chronological tables, and charts.