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7. Other Finds

7.1 Lithics

Figure 96

Figure 96: Diagnostic lithics

Nineteen worked flints were recovered, including a retouched Grand Pressigny 'dagger' blade, 6 scrapers of different kinds; 8 blades or blade segments; a pointed implement; and a blade core. There were also 23 flakes (at least 4 retouched and 5 calcined); 3 burnt or calcined shatters; a calcined bifacial artefact, perhaps a pot-boiler; and a recent gunflint. The material was examined by Lynden Cooper.

The two largest collections of artefacts came from Les Chaumes (Area 2, 22 and 44) and Le Ravery (Area 2, 20, 32 and 49), which yielded respectively 7 and 25 items. The vast majority of the lithics are not chronologically diagnostic, although most can probably be assigned a broad later Neolithic-Bronze Age range (for example, a finely retouched blade from Area 2, Fig. 96, 2). Some items such as the end scraper (Fig. 96, 5, from Ravery) are probably earlier, while the Grand Pressigny blade (Fig. 96, 4, also from Ravery) can be assigned a more precise, Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic date. Only one (blade) core was found (Fig. 96, 6, from Area 3); this had evidently been discarded after some unsuccessful flaking resulted in sharp hinge fractures rendering the core unsuitable for further use. A variety of flint types are represented (see list below).

Table 6: Lithics from the Arroux Valley survey

FieldDescriptionDimensionsArea/Site name
Area 1
40AScraper, broken at proximal end; greyish-fawn/cream30 x 33 x 13mmA1: Varveille
Area 2
35ARetouched flake; white patinated38 x 30 x 13mmA2: Beaufort
36Retouched flake; yellow-brown31 x 27 x 11mmA2: Beaufort
21Backed blade; brown 40 x 14 x 7mmA2: Chevannes farm
58Retouched cortical flake: ?gunflint; brownish25 x 22 x 6mmA2: Chevannes farm
75 [sq 11/4]Retouched cortical flake (notches = recent damage); brownish32 x 30 x 7mmA2: L'Haut des Champs
42Utilised blade, fine retouch on both edges which are somewhat serrated; orange-brown. Fig. 96, 1.54 x 13 x 5 mmA2: Les Merassires
42Flake/blade segment, possible retouch on one side, broken both ends; orange-brown, some older patination35 x 14 x 5 mmA2: Les Merassires
46Distal blade fragment; some cortex, grey-brown36 x 9 x 6 mmA2: Les Bruyères
Area 2 - Les Chaumes
22Mesial blade segment; reddy-brown29 x 17 x 8mmA2: Les Chaumes
22BTriangular scraper?, retouched; greyish38 x 25 x 8mmA2: Les Chaumes
22BChunk/flake?; reddish30 x 20 x 13mmA2: Les Chaumes
22CScraper, fawn. Fig. 96, 2.49 x 35 x 10mmA2: Les Chaumes
22DCalcined bifacial artefact - pot boiler? 45 x 34 x 24mmA2: Les Chaumes
44Trapezoidal worked flint, pointed at each end; brownish. Fig. 96, 343 x 16 x 9mmA2: Les Chaumes
44A?Blade segment, some cortex, left edge retouched; translucent fawnish22 x 25 x 4mmA2: Les Chaumes
Area 2 - Ravery
20-2Burnt flake frag, orange-brown19 x 18 x 6mmA2: Ravery
20-3Flake; fawnish30 x 23 x 5mmA2: Ravery
32BRetouched Grand Pressigny blade, distal frag., opaque fawn (3 notches are recent). Fig. 96, 498 x 33 x 9mmA2: Ravery
32BSide scraper; olive 44 x 31 x 10mmA2: Ravery
32BCalcined flake frag.34 x 19 x 6mmA2: Ravery
32CEnd scraper frag; violet; from end of blade? Fig. 96, 522 x 17 x 6mmA2: Ravery
32CBattered blade segment, burnt; violet-brown34 x 21 x 8mmA2: Ravery
32CFlake with cortex, unworked; fawnish-brown28 x 20 x 10mmA2: Ravery
32CCalcined shatter31 x 28 x 16mmA2: Ravery
32CCalcined flake24 x 23 x 9mmA2: Ravery
32DCalcined flake frag; originally fawn/grey30 x 26 x 11mmA2: Ravery
32DBattered flake (notches = recent damage); pale grey62 x 35 x 10mmA2: Ravery
32DSmall flint blade, possible notch?; fawnish42 x 15 x 5mmA2: Ravery
32DFlake; pinkish-fawn 34 x 28 x 13mmA2: Ravery
32EFlake with cortex; grey45 x 37 x 19mmA2: Ravery
32EDouble end scraper; toffee28 x 21 x 5mmA2: Ravery
32EFlake; brown 42 x 32 x 11mmA2: Ravery
49AFlake, pale grey 29 x 29 x 12mmA2: Ravery
49ABurnt shatter, rather battered; blackish27 x 24 x 11mmA2: Ravery
49BCalcined shatter36 x 26 x 18mmA2: Ravery
49BCalcined flake25 x 25 x 8mmA2: Ravery
49BCalcined flake fragment 24 x 10 x 6mmA2: Ravery
49BFlake; yellowish-brown28 x 19 x 9mmA2: Ravery
49BEnd of blade scraper; grey/fawn, slightly translucent21 x 19 x 5mmA2: Ravery
49CCalcined flake frag., some cortex 31 x 26 x 12mmA2: Ravery
Area 3
80AFlake; brownish31 x 14 x 6mmA3: Les Grands Quartiers
80AFlake or blade fragment? Apparently retouched; translucent yellowish-brown19 x 20 x 4mmA3: Les Grands Quartiers
80CBurnt flake with retouch? Very battered; reddish-brown45 x 21 x 7mmA3: Les Grands Quartiers
93Poss early flake?, non flint, dull brown44 x 23 x 11mmA3: Les Grands Quartiers
99Concave scraper? dull brown38 x 37 x 13mmA3: Pâture de Rully
99Flake with retouch, non-flint; pale grey32 x 28 x 8mmA3: Pâture de Rully
100Blade core, opposed platform; brown. Fig. 96, 668 x 39 x 26mmA3: La Bruyère

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