Kleinkems patiniert

Abstract

The prehistoric mining of chert at Kleinkems can be dated to around 4250 – 4050 BC. The extraction was a complex process and, although the knapping quality of the raw material from Kleinkems is good, its distribution is limited compared with that of siliceous rocks from other nearby sources. Certain observations have been described that could perhaps make a macroscopic identification of the chert from Kleinkems more difficult. The effect of heat on the nodules is to change their colour and increase the banding. Humus gives Kleinkems chert a patina with a brownish surface that, macroscopically, no longer resembles that of freshly mined white or pale grey chert.