Flint is found throughout chalk and most clay areas of Britain. It is a hard brittle rock that can by broken into flakes. The flakes can be worked into shape by an assortment of techniques, producing tools with very sharp edges. The finest flint tools were made during the Neolithic period and such was the demand that mines were dug down into the chalk to reach the best quality flint. Some of these mines went down 50 - 60 ft, and were dug out using antler tools.

Sketch showing a cross section of a flint mine

Different ways of flaking the flint.

Pressure flaking
and
Percussion

Assorted tools made from flint