How To Identify Worked Flint

I will update and change the layout here. But everything flinty will be on this page - examples of worked pieces, notes on blade and scraper types, core descriptions, and any observations from the field. Flint from local sources like Chesil Bank pebbles will be compared with imported material such as black chert. Demonstrations, like Will Attard’s knapping session at Cerny Wick, and any significant finds linked to toolmaking will also be added here. Over time, this page will become a full reference point for understanding early flint use

Is it worked flint, or naturally fractured?

Learning in the field

  • Searching for flint with lithic expert Will Attard

    We observed the landscape and made the climb. We found a small layered feature and next to that, a lovely flint blade. Rain had weather around the blade almost holding it up for me on a plinth

  • Our finds

    Lovely little broken blade and a scraper.

  • Will Attard giving the excavation team a flint knapping lesson

    Will Attard demonstrated flint knapping to the team at the Cerny Wick mammoth excavation, sharing techniques used to produce tools over 200,000 years ago. His session sparked discussion on early human behaviour, with comparisons between the knapped flakes produced on site and those used by Neanderthals

How to Identify Prehistoric Worked Flint | with DR. JAMES DILLEY

How To Start Recognising Worked Flint

Flint artefacts from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods can be identified by a number of consistent features left behind by prehistoric toolmakers. In Weymouth around Fleet Lagoon, and Portland Harbour area, the identification of worked flint is critical to understanding human activity along the coast and inland ridges.

Key features we look for:

Bulb of Percussion
A raised, often rounded area at the point of impact where a stone was struck to detach a flake. This is usually found on the ventral (underside) surface of a flake.

Striking Platform
The flat or slightly angled surface at the top of a flake where the blow was delivered. A clean, angled break often indicates human action.

Conchoidal Fracture
Curved, shell-like breaks typical of flint and similar cryptocrystalline stones. Natural fractures do occur, but regular conchoidal patterns suggest deliberate knapping.

Negative Flake Scars
These are the removal marks from earlier flakes taken off a core. A tool or core may show a pattern of overlapping scars, often with a clear direction of force.

Retouching
Small secondary removals along one or more edges, used to refine the shape or sharpen a cutting edge. Retouch can be regular or irregular but is usually purposeful.

Cortex
The outer, weathered surface of the original flint nodule. A partially cortical flake - where some cortex remains - is common in early-stage tool production.

Edge Gloss or Polish
In some Neolithic tools (especially sickles), polish can develop on edges used to cut silica-rich plants. It may appear as a glossy sheen under good light.

Patination and Colouration
Over time, flint may develop surface changes such as whitening or a bluish hue due to exposure or burial conditions. This helps date the piece and distinguish it from modern damage.

Context matters.
While the features above can indicate deliberate working, location is just as important. Flint found near raised beaches, spring lines, or the Fleet’s ancient margins may have a higher chance of being Mesolithic or Neolithic, especially if found alongside burnt flint or other artefacts.

Recent Flint Finds From the Fleet Lagoon, Dorset

  • Flint Core

    Mesolithic flint core made from black chert, likely brought in from outside the area. Distinct from the coarser, water-worn flint pebbles of Chesil Bank, it shows systematic flake removal from a single platform. Its fine-grained quality suggests deliberate selection and possibly reflects wider movement or trade during the Mesolithic.

  • Scrapers

    Mesolithic scrapers found in the area are made from both imported chert and locally sourced Chesil Bank flint pebbles. They show deliberate retouch along one edge, forming a working surface. The use of varied materials suggests opportunistic toolmaking, with functionality prioritised over material quality in daily subsistence and processing tasks.

  • Blades

    Mesolithic blades show a range of forms, made from both fine black chert and flint pebbles collected from Chesil Bank. Some are narrow and parallel-sided, others broader and less regular. Struck from prepared cores, most show little retouch. The variation reflects different tool uses and adaptation to available material.