Archaeological Pitchstone in Northern Britain: Characterization and interpretation of an important prehistoric source

Today the number of pitchstone-bearing sites in northern Britain has multiplied several times and approximately 20,300 worked pieces from c. 350 sites have been found; pitchstone artefacts have been reported from practically all parts of Scotland (apart from Shetland), as well as from northern England, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man. This report collates this information and reinterprets the distribution of pitchstone finds and the social context of pitchstone use.