VHS: Knapping: The Ancient Art

For hundreds of thousands of years, humans worked to shape stones to meet their needs.

Tools, weapons, religious idols... each shaped with the ingenuity of early man.

The two most common stones used in knapping were flint and chert.

A chert stone was used as a hammer to shape the flint, or remove flakes from it.

Later, the chert was attached as a head to a wooden handle, as a simple hammer.

Flint flakes could be fashioned into blades or points, and used as knives...

... arrow points, or spear heads.

The ancient Egyptians made bracelets and armlets from flint...

... while the Mayans fashioned elaborate ceremonial objects from chert and obsidian.

Some of these items have lasted for up to two million years.

We have to wonder how many of our modern tools will last as long.