Sunday, 6 April 2025

Portable antiquity

 
Glancing down whilst walking the edge of a ploughed field on the ridge of the Kimmeridge Bowl, something caught my eye. A prehistoric flint scraper. Common in the tool kit of the Neolithic farmers who first settled Purbeck. This example appears well worn, with signs of damage, possibly both ancient and plough. As finds go, flint is a particular favourite of mine, it feels such a personal artefact. That feeling of being the first soul to handle a prehistoric flint since the person who probably crafted it never dulls. I'll record it under Portable Antiquity Scheme; an item like this may seem insignificant, though it adds to our broader understanding of our ancestors who walked this land before us.

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