51. Neolithic Flint Axe (British)

Middle Neolithic C. 3000 B.C.

A Neolithic knapped flint axe from the UK. Bifacially worked from white/grey flint. Traces of cortex visible. Functional cutting edge.

This type of axe would most probably have been hafted into a wooden or bone handle for use. The axe would have been a functional tool, perhaps used by the early farmers to make clearings in woodland. It would also have been a highly valued object, perhaps a symbol of a person's status.

Condition: Fine.

Dimensions: 16cm x 5cm approx.

Provenance: Ex. private collection, UK; acquired at UK auction house.

*Overseas buyers* this item may require a UK export license. This process incurs no additional cost to the buyer. Please contact me before purchasing, so that I can advise you of the export/import requirements, timescales and shipping that will apply.

£80.00

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The Neolithic in Britain

After the first farmers arrived in Britain around 4000 BC, new settlements and extraordinary monuments started appearing across the land. The Neolithic period had begun. This Neolithic Revolution was a period of human advancement across the world, as new technology and farming took hold, and sedentary civilisation became feasible. The earliest societies to abandon their hunter-gatherer lifestyles were the Middle East and China, their Neolithic period beginning around 8000 BC. The Neolithic in Britain came slightly later, introduced by migrants from Europe in around 4000 BC. They brought with them agricultural techniques, and the previously untamed landscape of Britain quickly became more ordered. The end of the Neolithic in Britain was around 2500 BC.