A CAST of an artifact from the Neolithic Period of the Sahara Desert in the area around northern Egypt.  Before the current conditions of dry desert, there was a period of the AHP(African Humid Period) where paleolithic hunter gatherers entered the area around 9 to 10,000 years ago.  The area of the Sahara was damp enough for grasslands and farming near the end of that period around 5,000 years ago, before the rise of the Egyptian civilization.  This particular type of core is believed to fit into this time period. Microcores were used as a way to get many small razor sharp cutting blades out of a flint cobble too small for large bifacial work.  These micro blades could be insert into handle for cutting plant fiber, or into the end of projectile shafts to create a continuous edge.  This example measures 1 and a half inches long, 1 inch by 5/8ths of an inch wide, and was made in a fine grained grey flint.  (cast copyright Occpaleo 2023)