Large Nucleus Called Butter Book – Flint – Grand Pressigny – Neolithic

Large Nucleus called Livre de Beurre – Flint – Grand Pressigny - Neolithic The nuclei were particularly abundant and made the reputation of the Grand Pressigny site. Because they were shaped like the one-pound lumps of butter that farmers of the time would mold before selling them, these nuclei were commonly called "butter books". The flint blades were extracted from the nucleus using the so-called "Levallois" method. This method consists of "judiciously" striking one of the faces of a block of flint (or other homogeneous rock) to make a flake on the opposite face, which had previously been given a convex curvature. Although the Turonian flints in the area were used since the Paleolithic, what makes Grand Pressigny famous are its blades and nuclei. These blades made of cut flint date from the Neolithic period (3rd millennium BC). They were therefore manufactured, used and exported (up to more than 1000 km away) by a sedentary civilization, practicing agriculture, using stone polishing and mastering the techniques of pottery and ceramics. Flint blades could still be used for their particularly sharp nature, in particular to cut cereals and other grasses whose stems are very hard, because they are rich in silica. It also seems that the largest flint blades from Grand Pressigny were used as a prestige object; having and exhibiting the longest was a sign of success, a bit like exhibiting certain cars or famous watch brands constitutes, nowadays, a sign of success. Beautiful brown patina 25cm long Former collection of a private French museum