Late Neolithic to early Bronze Age flint plano-convex knife,slug knife. From Silkstead, Otterbourne, Hampshire.

Flint knife

Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age

Surface find collected from Silkstead, Otterbourne, Hampshire

Archaeologists know this type of flint tool as a "slug" knife because of its shape. It's technical name is a plano-convex knife, meaning flat on one side and rounded on the other.The flint has been worked around the edge to provide a cutting tool used in much the same way as we use knives today. A portion of the cortex, or rough outer skin of the original flint nodule can be seen running the length of the knife. "Slug" knives are of interest as they demonstrate skilled manufacturing at a time in the later Neolithic when flint tools in general were declining in quality.