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flint?

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  • 22-02-2015 2:52am
    #1
    outdoors247
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭


    Just wondering is their much flint stone in Ireland as I'm interested in primitive archery and have never found any in my area to try some flint knapping?


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    #2
    Arsemageddon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,129 ✭✭✭Arsemageddon


    The best places to find big flint nodules are the beaches along the north coast of Antrim (especially Ballycastle) and south Wexford (around Kilmore Quay). If you are around the midlands you can find chert, which has very similar properties to flint and was used to make tools in prehistory.

    If you can't get flint or chert you can use the thick glass from the bottom of bottles is very good for practicing knapping. Just make sure to wear gloves (and as always, never run when carrying scissors)


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    #3
    Wibbs
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,089 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Arsemageddon wrote: »
    and south Wexford (around Kilmore Quay).
    I was surprised at how many flint nodules I found on the beaches in that neck of the woods. Must be an offshore outcrop? The local stone is mostly carboniferous limestone IIRC. It's not the best quality, but it's usable. Actually on that score Ireland must have been a pain for ancient peoples compared to say southern England which has a lot of good quality flint and French flint is off the scale in buttery goodness. Lower grade cherts we get here are harder to work with and give an inferior cutting edge by comparison.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



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    #4
    Arsemageddon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,129 ✭✭✭Arsemageddon


    Wibbs wrote: »
    I was surprised at how many flint nodules I found on the beaches in that neck of the woods. Must be an offshore outcrop? The local stone is mostly carboniferous limestone IIRC. It's not the best quality, but it's usable. Actually on that score Ireland must have been a pain for ancient peoples compared to say southern England which has a lot of good quality flint and French flint is off the scale in buttery goodness. Lower grade cherts we get here are harder to work with and give an inferior cutting edge by comparison.

    In general, the best nodules to work with can be found in the eroded faces of the sand banks/cliffs. A friend brought me back a load of flint from the south of England which was definitely much easier to knapp. I've never had a chance to use French flint, TBH I didn't even know it was of better quality.

    Your right in saying that chert is harder to use, the main advantage it has is that it is so plentiful it can be used for practicing with.

    What I'd really love to get my hands on is a big pile of obsidian.


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    #5
    outdoors247
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭outdoors247


    Cheers I'll give kikmore ago


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    #6
    Mountainsandh
    Registered Users Posts: 6,700 ✭✭✭Mountainsandh


    Wibbs wrote: »
    I was surprised at how many flint nodules I found on the beaches in that neck of the woods. Must be an offshore outcrop? The local stone is mostly carboniferous limestone IIRC. It's not the best quality, but it's usable. Actually on that score Ireland must have been a pain for ancient peoples compared to say southern England which has a lot of good quality flint and French flint is off the scale in buttery goodness. Lower grade cherts we get here are harder to work with and give an inferior cutting edge by comparison.

    My understanding from (fuzzy) recollections of "Reading the Irish Landscape" is that glacial "lumps" on meltdown travelled down from the Irish sea/Wicklow/inland Wexford areas and some took a right at George's channel dragging along the Southern coastal areas in a Western direction, thereby transporting and dislodging a number of minerals from afar that can now be found on the South Eastern coasts.

    Pardon my very basic understanding and interpretation, I only read that for pleasure and have no academic knowledge of archeology/geology/history.

    Have to re-read it actually, loved reading it but it doesn't quite sink in on the first go.

    edit : OP, I live near Dungarvan, and the odd time I do spot the odd nodule on the beaches here too, there might be specific beaches more likely to have what you're looking for, one cove on the Eastern side before you get to Ardmore beach is very prone to erosion and comes to mind.


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    #7
    lcwill
    Registered Users Posts: 259 ✭✭lcwill


    I believe there was a neolithic trade in flint and stone axes between the Britain and Ireland precisely because the local flint was limited in Ireland


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