| No. | cal. BC | Data quality and period sets | Abbreviations in text | Technology and typology* | Retouched forms | Patina |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | _ | ?Prehistoric | ?PREH | Irregular and angular flakes or chunks. This group includes material that is struck, but may not be humanly worked: flakes without diagnostic features; natural pebbles and 'liming flints' (irregular chunks, lumps and flakes, imported into the area from Wiltshire) | None | Heavy, medium and light |
| 2 | 10,000-700 | Prehistoric | PREH | Chronologically unclassified material, but definitely flaked. Waste dominated, with chunks, cores and core-nodules. More rarely retouched forms, such as scrapers | Scrapers, miscellaneous retouched flakes/blades | Heavy, medium, few light |
| 3 | 10,000-4000 | Mesolithic | ME | Dominated by waste; flakes, some cores and core fragments with some retouched forms, such as particular scrapers. Note, no diagnostic types, but given the degree of patination this group may be a residual element of the early Mesolithic. Other data sets: 4. EM; 5. LM | Scrapers, miscellaneous retouched flakes/blades | Heavy, medium, few light |
| 4 | 10,000-6500 | Early Mesolithic | EM | Diagnostic waste, with broad flake/blade scars on cores, microliths, typically 'Broad blade'. Common, end and end and side scrapers on flakes. Burins, microburins and miscellaneous retouched flakes. Other data sets: 3. ME | Obliquely blunted points (large), non-geometric forms, burins, microburins, end and end and side scrapers | Heavy to medium |
| 5 | 6500-4000 | Later Mesolithic | LM | Diagnostic waste, with narrow flakes/blades or bladelet scars on cores, microliths typically 'Narrow blade', small and thin non-geometric and geometric types. Small microburins (few). Other data sets: 6. LM/EN | Obliquely blunted points (small), crescents, scalenes, most geometric, small microburins, small round scrapers | Medium to light, to none |
| 6 | 6500-2900 | Later Mesolithic &/or earlier Neolithic | LM/EN | Mostly not diagnostic; cores, flakes, narrow flakes, blades. Also some scrapers on flakes, other miscellaneous retouched flakes. Other data sets: 5. LM; 7. EN | Scrapers, miscellaneous retouched flakes/blades | Light to none |
| 7 | 4000-2900 (3838 BC Post Track; 3806-07 BC Sweet Track) | Earlier Neolithic | EN | Group typically earlier Neolithic with typologically diagnostic retouched forms: leaf-shaped arrowheads, chipped and polished axes, as small and simple scrapers, such as the short scraper. Classic waste, includes narrow flake, blade-like flakes and some blades; evidence for core preparation and rejuvenation (for example, core tablets and core rejuvenation flakes). Other data sets: 6. LM/EN; 7. EN | Leaf-shaped arrowheads, chipped and polished axes, short scrapers | Light to none |
| 8 | 2900-2500 | Earlier Neolithic &/or middle Neolithic | EN/MN | This grouping is less distinctive, with few retouched forms and waste dominating: cores, irregular waste, technologically narrow flake based. Other data sets: 7. EN; 9. MN/LN | Scrapers, miscellaneous retouched flakes/blades | Light to none |
| 9 | 2900, 2500-2000 | Middle Neolithic and/or later Neolithic | MN/LM | Lithics within this group are less diagnostic, but flakes do tend to be broad. Flakes are more squat and broad in shape, with little sign of core preparation. Blades are few. Waste dominates, with few retouched forms. Other data sets: 8. EN/MN; 10. LN | Scrapers, miscellaneous retouched flakes/blades | None |
| 10 | 2500-2000 | Later Neolithic | LN | Group typically includes particular later Neolithic retouched forms, such as the Petit tranchet arrowhead, chisel arrowhead and large scrapers (for example, the horse-shoe scraper). Flakes are few, but tend to be large, hard hammer in type. This demonstrates technologically the shift from narrow to broad flake production, with a corresponding reduced emphasis on core preparation and maintenance. Other data sets: 9. MN/LN; 11. BK; 12. LN/EB; 13. EB/MB | Petit tranchet arrowheads, chisel arrowheads and large scrapers (for example, the horse-shoe scraper) | None |
| 11 | 2500-1800 | Beaker | BK | This group is dominated by diagnostic retouched forms, including thumbnail scrapers and barbed and tanged arrowheads. Scale flaking is more evident on other forms of scraper, for example semi-circular scrapers and plano-convex knifes. Flakes overlap in type with adjacent groups: broad and squat in shape, with limited platform preparation. Other data sets: 9. MN/LN; 10. LN; 12. LN/EB; 13. EB/MB | Thumbnail scrapers, other scale-flaked scrapers, plano-convex knifes, sickle knifes, daggers and all types of barbed and tanged arrowheads | None |
| 12 | 2400-1500 | Indeterminate later Neolithic or early Bronze Age | LN/EB | Waste would overlap with adjacent groups: broad and squat in shape, with limited platform preparation; some large flakes. Retouched forms on large flake blanks are present, for example, circular and sub-circular scraper forms. Other data sets: 9. MN/LN; 10. LN; 11. BK; 13. EB/MB | Large miscellaneous scrapers, miscellaneous large retouched flakes | None |
| 13 | 2000-900 | Indeterminate early Bronze Age or middle Bronze Age | EB/MB | Waste tends to be large or on irregular flakes, with hard hammer and low bulbar angle. Few pieces provide retouched edges, informal, coarse and short in execution. Miscellaneous retouched forms, scrapers, flakes are common. Within the study area examples are few from both excavated and ploughsoil assemblages. Other data sets: 12. LN/EB; 14. MB/LB | Few retouched forms; miscellaneous retouched flakes, coarse scrapers | None |
| 14 | 1000, 900-700 | Indeterminate middle Bronze Age or later Bronze Age | MB/LB | Waste tends to be large or on irregular flakes, with hard hammer and low bulbar angle. Raw material can be reused, including thermal fractured flint. Expedient working demonstrated – poor technical skills, on ad hoc flake blanks. Few pieces provide retouched edges, informal, coarse and short in execution. Miscellaneous retouched forms, scrapers, flakes are common. Within the study area examples are few from both excavated and ploughsoil assemblages. Other data sets: 13. EB/MB | Few retouched forms; miscellaneous retouched flakes | None |
| 15 | 1600-1800 (AD) | MOD | This group consists of one class of artefact, without waste: the gun flints. | Gun flints | None |
*Note on hierarchical system of data quality and period sets: in column 5 at the end of each statement the data sets that may or may not be contemporary with, or at least partly overlap in time with, that data set are listed.