Prehistoric Flintwork by Chris Butler England

Submitted by dianacoles on Monday, 27 June 2005 Page Views: 5090

Country: England

**Flintwork** submitted by MickM : See review (Vote or comment on this photo)

There has long been not so much a gap as a yawning hiatus in the literature of flint technology. Excellent publications by the likes of John Lord (if that is not an oxymoron) have explained to us the how of knapping. Equally excellent works, for example, Mark Edmonds’ ‘Understanding Flint’, have grappled with the why. The who, what and when, have all been left to the interested student of British lithic technologies to grapple with unaided. No longer!

Butler opens with a brief description of the formation and distribution of the raw material. He then moves onto an overview of flint use and the terminology commonly used in flint analysis. He then gives a detailed account of how flint technologies developed from the limited assemblages of the lower Palaeolithic to the highly developed technologies that existed from the late Palaeolithic onwards to their slow decline after the introduction of metals. For each period he outlines the dominant technology and describes the characteristic tool types and debitage by which an assemblage may be identified.

This book deserves to become the standard reference work for anyone seeking a basic understanding of British flint technology. Butler’s style is lucid, succinct and above all totally comprehensible. The illustrations support and enhance the text. He demonstrates how social and economic change within prehistoric society brought about changes in technology and, by citing examples drawn from various British sites, demonstrates how an analysis of the lithic assemblage can help to inform the archaeologist about the nature of the society that produced the technology.

This new publication from Tempus was written, in Chris Butler’s own words, ‘to help archaeologists and others recognise and interpret prehistoric worked flint in the environment.’ This book does just what it says on the tin. If you have an interest in prehistory and a desire to make sense of the material culture that remains, then you need this book. Buy it!

Diana Coles

Prehistoric Flintwork by Chris Butler
Tempus 2005 £19.99p

Contributor Bio for dianacoles: Based in london, contributing since 2005. Favourite site: cave cairn. Occupation: student.

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