Eigenwillige Feuersteinartefakte als Zeugen einer Flintensteinherstellung von der Ostseeküste des Dänischen Wohlds, Kr. Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Schleswig-Holstein

Abstract

Numerous pieces of worked flint were recovered by R. Jeske along a 13 km long shore section at Noer-Lindhöft in the southern part of the Eckernförde Bay. The collection is thought to relate to local gunflint production. The area’s glacial deposits are rich in flint. So far, there is only written evidence of one local gunflint manufacturer during the first half of the 18th century. The finds collected among the shore boulders have clearly been redeposited, and they are more or less water-rolled. They represent the debris of flake-based gunflint (‘wedges’) production. The collection only includes a small number of unmodified flake blanks, as most suitable small flakes may have been brought to an as yet unknown location for final shaping. A proportion of the finds – probably not more than 20 % - seem to be of prehistoric date, with a few diagnostic tools dating to the period Late Mesolithic – Late Neolithic. Until now, no fully formed gunflints or strike a-lights/fire-flints have been found. Among the production waste, large flakes with negative flake scars on their ventral faces and cucumber-
shaped cores are the most easily recognized forms. Similar pieces were noted at a gunflint workshop near Veaux-Malaucène in southern France, which J. Weiner published recently. The Lindhöft pieces seem to be based on a more varied technological approach than those from southern France, which may reflect the quality of the available raw material at Lindhöft. A number of selected, only slightly rolled, representative pieces have been illustrated.