Neolithic Flint Blade

From as early as 15,000 B.C., there were settlements along the Nile Valley, which attracted populations from the Sahara and North Africa. Some flint blades show traces of use for gathering the wild grasses that yield cereal grains. Whether used in harvesting food, for hunting, or for war, we can be fairly certain the person who carved this blade so many millennia ago did not do so for the sake of beauty. Nonetheless, it is indeed beautiful and elegant; with the sides curving gently to reach the sharp point and slightly widened base. Perfect balance is achieved through absolute uniformity of line and thickness, given greater expression by the variegated surface. It is this perfection of form that makes the blade so pleasing to the senses.