Red Flint

freesky Jul 15, 2007 17:13:59

I recently discovered a piece of red flint in the garden when digging out a large shrub. I passed this piece of flint to a scientist friend who appeared somewhat surprized by it's colour. It was a dark maroon. I'd appreciate if anyone can shed any light onto how this flint would have been formed and where mined if not local to the wimborne area of Dorset.

Lubin Jul 15, 2007 19:20:01

Replying to freesky

I went to a lecture on the paleolithic a few months ago and a lot of it was about the flint tools used, along with flint knapping. One of the things mentioned is that flint that has been broken in one way or another changes colour with age ,turning brown, orange or red. hope this is helpfull. Peace , Lubin

rocknicker Jul 16, 2007 06:18:21

Replying to freesky

I suppose if all flint is a form of quartz, then we should expect it to occur in as many colours, no?

maybe think of it as garnet flavoured, or something.

fitzcoraldo Jul 16, 2007 06:38:57

Replying to freesky

Howdo Freesky
I have a couple of lovely split sea-polished pebbles of brick-red flint. Flint occurs in all sorts of colours. My native flint is grey with white speckles but I regularly find orange, white and black flint. I'm told the orange flint comes from Fife via longshore drift and glacial transportation, the others have probably eroded our of the glacial till. I was over in Cumbria a few weeks ago and was shown some beautiful jet black chert tools collected from the Mallerstang valley.
As for formation, I guess Spaceship Mark could give you more detail, I always thought that the red/orange colouration was down to the iron
content when the material was deposited however flint definitely changes colour when exposed and weathered.
I'm not sure if this applies in the uk, further afield red jasper was used for prehistoric tool making, it has a concoidal fracture and therefore can be knapped in the same way as flint.
cheers
fitz