Le Grand-Pressigny flint mine

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location
“Butter pounds” from Le-Grand-Pressigny

The Le Grand-Pressigny flint mine in the commune of Le Grand-Pressigny in the Indre-et-Loire department in France is the quarrying site of a characteristic flint (known as Pressignian) used to produce ancient stone tools . The mined flint from Le Grand-Pressigny ( flint mine ) was of special quality and in great demand at the time of the bell beaker culture (2500–2000 BC).

The yellow kernels known as “livre de beurre” (butter pounds) made it possible to manufacture particularly long blades and daggers , which were found in Belgium , Brittany , Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In addition to the “Livres de beurre”, there are core stones (“modele court et large”) that stand out from the long, narrow large blades due to their rounded shape.

technology

Remains of Bulbusregionen , ventral and face indicate directly and hard beaten deductions as in Erstpräparation the patty-shaped incurred flint stones. The use of debris is also documented. The length of the core stones is between 12.0 and 16.5 cm, with a width of 10.5–20 cm and a thickness of 2.8–6.0 cm. The basic shape does not allow the production of dagger-like devices, but provides short, wide blades or blade-shaped tees. Blade-shaped cuts with semicircular, retouched ends are interpreted as saws (saw blades) and all-purpose knives. The latter is supported by numerous finds of stocked specimens, the handles of which have holes for fixing a cord that was apparently attached to the belt.

See also

literature

  • Sabine Gayck: Prehistoric Silex Mining in Europe. A critical analysis of the current state of research (= contributions to the prehistory and early history of Central Europe. 15). Beier & Beran, Langenweißbach 2000, ISBN 3-930036-22-3 .
  • Heinrich Quiring : The shafts, tunnels and mining areas of the Stone Age and antiquity. In: Journal for the mountain, hut and saltworks in the Prussian state. Vol. 80, 1932, ISSN  0372-8072 , pages B. 274 - B. 297.

Web links

Commons : Flints from Le Grand-Pressigny  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 46 ° 55 ′ 30 ″  N , 0 ° 48 ′ 25 ″  E