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SYNOPSIS
What is the most important invention of all time? Forget your smartphone, forget Wi-Fi, even space travel. The most important invention ever was flint tools. This episode explores the "gold" of prehistory.
For two million (!) years, flint was indispensable to humanity. It was incredibly useful: hard and razor-sharp. The stone could be easily split, and with a bit of practice, almost anyone could work it. Prehistoric people made a variety of tools from flint: axes, knives, scrapers, and arrows. Life without flint was unimaginable. Hunting was only possible with flint arrows, and without flint scrapers, knives, and axes, there would be no clothing or wood. A campfire could even be easily ignited with pieces of flint and iron ore.
In the Savelsbos forest in Rijckholt lies a vast prehistoric flint mining area. Scientists call it "le Grand Atelier" (the grand workshop), as millions of kilos of flint were extracted here. The quality was so high that flint was traded far beyond the present-day Netherlands. Other flint mines also existed across Europe. In Spiennes, Belgium, archaeologists have discovered thousands of flint mines. Only about 4,000 years ago did the use of flint largely end, as the Bronze Age dawned.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Robin Peeters, who graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy in 1996, leads Mosasaurus as a producer, writer, and director. His expertise lies in creating cultural and scientific films and series, though he occasionally ventures into fiction and music videos. Beyond his work with Mosasaurus, Robin is active as a Director of Photography and Film Editor for external productions and regularly mentors emerging filmmakers. Robin lives and works in Limburg, the place where 65 million years ago the Mosasaurus – the "T. rex of the sea" – swam through a subtropical sea.
Founded in 1993 by Robin Peeters, Mosasaurus Film Productions is a film production studio based in the Euregio Maas-Rijn near Maastricht. With nearly 30 years of experience in the film and television industry, Mosasaurus specializes in the development and production of films, series, and online video content. The company is dedicated to creating impactful content that makes art, culture and history accessible to audiences of all ages.
Mosasaurus collaborates with broadcasters such as History Channel, NTR, and L1, and serves clients including Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Moesgaard Museum in Denmark, and the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi. By adopting a flexible and customized approach, the company consistently delivers high-quality, original productions tailored to the specific needs of each project.
AWARDS AND SCREENINGS
Cinekid Festival, TAC Film Festival
Awards: Cinekid Top 3 Nomination Best Dutch Non-Fiction Documentary Series
- Year2024
- Runtime10 minutes
- LanguageDutch
- CountryThe Netherlands
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
- DirectorRobin Peeters
- ProducerRobin Peeters
SYNOPSIS
What is the most important invention of all time? Forget your smartphone, forget Wi-Fi, even space travel. The most important invention ever was flint tools. This episode explores the "gold" of prehistory.
For two million (!) years, flint was indispensable to humanity. It was incredibly useful: hard and razor-sharp. The stone could be easily split, and with a bit of practice, almost anyone could work it. Prehistoric people made a variety of tools from flint: axes, knives, scrapers, and arrows. Life without flint was unimaginable. Hunting was only possible with flint arrows, and without flint scrapers, knives, and axes, there would be no clothing or wood. A campfire could even be easily ignited with pieces of flint and iron ore.
In the Savelsbos forest in Rijckholt lies a vast prehistoric flint mining area. Scientists call it "le Grand Atelier" (the grand workshop), as millions of kilos of flint were extracted here. The quality was so high that flint was traded far beyond the present-day Netherlands. Other flint mines also existed across Europe. In Spiennes, Belgium, archaeologists have discovered thousands of flint mines. Only about 4,000 years ago did the use of flint largely end, as the Bronze Age dawned.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Robin Peeters, who graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy in 1996, leads Mosasaurus as a producer, writer, and director. His expertise lies in creating cultural and scientific films and series, though he occasionally ventures into fiction and music videos. Beyond his work with Mosasaurus, Robin is active as a Director of Photography and Film Editor for external productions and regularly mentors emerging filmmakers. Robin lives and works in Limburg, the place where 65 million years ago the Mosasaurus – the "T. rex of the sea" – swam through a subtropical sea.
Founded in 1993 by Robin Peeters, Mosasaurus Film Productions is a film production studio based in the Euregio Maas-Rijn near Maastricht. With nearly 30 years of experience in the film and television industry, Mosasaurus specializes in the development and production of films, series, and online video content. The company is dedicated to creating impactful content that makes art, culture and history accessible to audiences of all ages.
Mosasaurus collaborates with broadcasters such as History Channel, NTR, and L1, and serves clients including Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Moesgaard Museum in Denmark, and the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi. By adopting a flexible and customized approach, the company consistently delivers high-quality, original productions tailored to the specific needs of each project.
AWARDS AND SCREENINGS
Cinekid Festival, TAC Film Festival
Awards: Cinekid Top 3 Nomination Best Dutch Non-Fiction Documentary Series
- Year2024
- Runtime10 minutes
- LanguageDutch
- CountryThe Netherlands
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
- DirectorRobin Peeters
- ProducerRobin Peeters