Flintworking in the British Later Bronze and Iron Ages: Acruical Review and Statement of Research Potential

Abstract

This paper provides a cn''tical review of the key published literature concerning the continued exploitation of flint for chipped stone tool manufacture into the British later Bronze and Iron Ages. Its pninary min is to idenfl:fy the main researchers involved, to cn'ti'cally appraise their studies, and to z'denfl:fy issues worthy of forther invesfl"gafl"on. The first part of the paper deals pnncipally with published landmark studies on the topz'c. These are addressed in order of publicall"on. Unless directly relevant to these works, sitespecific later Bronze and Iron Age assemblages are not discussed here. The van"ous models advanced for the complex displacement ciflithic technology by metallurgy in later Bn"tish prehistory are discussed cri!l"cally. The technological profile of later flaked stone assemblages is also highlighted in the context of broader theon"es cif change in Bn"ti'sh lz"thic technology. This review is followed by a short discussz"on of the current research potenll"al of later Bronze and Iron Ageflintworldng in Bn"tain. It is argued that the greatest potenfl"al rests wz"th detm1ed regz"onal analyses incorporaflng technological, micro-usewear, and contextual analysz's.

The stone-to-metal transition reflected in the Iron Age copper production sites of Timna Valley, Israel

“…The regular and organized use of knapped flint tools within metallurgical contexts undermines the prevalent understanding that the contraction of the flint knapping industries to expedient production entailed their withdrawal from non-domestic settings in the Levant [ 6 , 10 ] and elsewhere [ 13 , 22 ]. Moreover, the use of flint in contexts where metal was readily available–the metal workshop–calls for a reevaluation of some aspects of the stone-to-metal transition.…”

“…Accordingly, scholars have argued that two factors affected the final stages in the transition from stone to metal in the Levant and other regions: (a) function effectiveness and efficiency and (b) access to metal circulation networks [ 6 , 7 , 9 , 13 , 21 , 22 ]. Functional advantages pertain to the activity conducted, the raw material manipulated, and the specific metal employed [ 4 ] and references therein].…”