History in our hands!

Prehistoric history at Whitlingham Country Park

Whitlingham Woods has a fascinating history of industry, including prehistoric flint knapping. Flint is formed within chalk, and chalk forms a significant part of the park's geology, which is why the woodland has such sculpted cliffs from years of action in the chalk/lime industry.

What exactly is flint knapping?

Find out more in this video, explained clearly by a modern day expert.

There have been thousands of fragments, or 'flakes', of flint found within the woods over the years, which are evidence of deliberate flint working by humans on an industrial scale.

The latest flint find...

One of our wonderful regular volunteers, Dean, found this worked flint tool recently while sifting through some soil, preparing it for grass seeding. Our investigations suggest it is an ancient drilling tool and has been deliberately worked into this interesting shape.

It is a fascinating piece of flint to hold, as it feels like it has a comfortable grip that has been expertly designed for a human hand. That may be a coincidence, of course, but it is fascinating to hold something from so long ago and imagine it being used!

Our ancient ancestors are known to have created holes in objects such as shells and bones to create wearable items like jewellery, and this would have been the type of tool for the job.

Four views of the flint tool recently discovered at Whitlingham Country Park:

This tool is approximately 70mm in length.

The image above comes from this online article if you want to find out more about prehistoric drilling tools. There are a huge variety of designs, showing just how skilful the knappers would have been to create them for specific jobs.

If you ever find anything historically interesting on your visits to Whitlingham Country Park, please let us know. We are continually learning more about this site's rich history, and every little puzzle piece helps us form the bigger picture!