What’s it about?
It’s thought that flint knapping was first used in Africa around 2.5 million years ago, long before Homo sapiens sapiens arose. Until metal was discovered, stone was the primary resource for making tools.
In southern Britain flint was the stone of choice. It came from a variety of sources, including river gravels and cliff faces eroded by the sea. It was also mined from deep underground using picks made from antlers and shovels made from the shoulder-blades of large herbivores such as cattle and horses.
What will I do on this flint knapping and primitive glues course?
During this introductory one day flint knapping course you’ll learn the basics of flint knapping and the techniques you’ll need to create functional items.
You’ll start the day by looking at a range of tools where flint has been used for both the finished item and also in the production of other craft items.
We’ll discuss and demonstrate some methods of removing flakes from bigger pieces of stone in order to be used for smaller items. You’ll gain knowledge in some knapping basics such as sourcing stone, gauging quality material, blade removal, creating platforms, flaking and what’s useful for a good knapping kit including various flakers and hammer stones.
The course will focus on you:
- Producing arrowheads,
- Creating blades for all manner of uses, and
- Making drill tips.
Aside from flint knapping, you’ll have the opportunity to use some of the flint points you create to make a flint drill under the expert guidance of the course leader, Billy Souter.
Flint drills are a wonderful example of simple but incredibly effective Stone Age technology. A tool that is in theory easy to make, but has so many practical applications. These drills are regularly used on our Bone Tools and Primitive Fishing Kits courses for various purposes.
Primitive glue making will be a key component of the day and you’ll learn how to make your own resin glue and see the variety of materials that can be incorporated into the glue, depending on the desired tool.
By the end of the day you’ll have gained a solid understanding of basic flint knapping techniques, a variety of simple flint tools/components and primitive resin glue.
A fantastic course for anyone looking to learn more about ancestral skills, whether you have no previous experience or want to build on your existing knowledge.
You can view our full course schedule here.
Other information
Location: Westwell, Kent
Duration: 1 day
Start: 10am
End: 4pm
Course size: Maximum of 8
Catering: We’ll provide tea & coffee, you’ll need to bring a packed lunch
Note: There’s a short walk from the meeting point to the camp.
You might also find these Frequently Asked Questions useful.
