Quote:
Originally Posted by loripo  (Not sure if all materials used needed the property of conchoidal fracturing to give the sharp edges )
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A concoidal fracture certainly is best, but not essential. Another silicon based material that was often used in the Stone Age was chert, which has a pretty unpredictable fracture. Whilst not as workable as flint, it occurs in large amounts in the Carboniferous Limestone in parts of Northern England and in other rocks as far north as Scotland. Where flint wasn't available it was a more than acceptable substitute. In some of the Mesolithic scatters where I live in the South Pennines, it has been found in reasonably large amounts.
Occasionally, rhyolite (a fine grained acidic igneous rock) was used as well.
And, I didn't realise such a subject could cultivate a debate of the like seen here. Grand.
Regards, Chris