Flint Story How Silicon Dioxide Transformed Human Life

About this book

Locked within a mineral often overlooked due to its ordinariness is a fascinating tale of shallow, tropical Cretaceous seas, thick sediments of calcite skeletons, fossilised, burrowing sea creatures and massive continental uplift of chalk and limestone, a genesis that resulted in a material absolutely essential to human evolution from the earliest times.

The ubiquitous flint tool was applied to practical tasks through hundreds of millennia of fluctuating climate cycles. It not only directly affected survival, but played a crucial role in the development of human identity and self-expression.

Flint Story is a personal observation of the indispensable role of flint during prehistory, encompassing tales of not only geology and tools, but mines and fire, as well as the studies of antiquarians, collectors and experimenters. Also highlighted are the phenomenal range of unique objects fashioned with tools, often inspired by symbiosis with nature's creatures and processes: from cave, rock shelter and portable art to hunting weapons, personal adornment and the first musical instruments. A comprehensive guide to archaeological sites and museums, maps, a timeline and a list of online resources are provided to inspire and assist your own exploration of flint's coexistence with human endeavour.

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