AXEHEAD 160389

Description: Neolithic chipped and polished axehead of flint, very heavily patinated. The axehead is pointed oval in section and has a curved cutting edge 57.6mm wide, directly behind which it widens to 60.2mm. One side then tapers to the square butt end, which is 38.4mm wide. The other side bulges slightly just after the half-way point, then tapers to the butt end. The axehead is max.32.4mm thick. One face has a higher degree of polishing than the other, which is more chipped - both the result of the original 'roughing out' and subsequent extensive chipping to both faces. The rather more polished face has a large 'bump' at its centre, although its corresponding area on the other face has a large chip missing from it, so this is not the thickest point at 31.4mm. The ground and polished areas of the axe have a discolouration in their patination, and are creamier in colour, possibly just because they have been exposed to the air longer, and because the state of the surface has changed through grinding and polishing. There are also lines of iron staining on both faces. Although the edges at the cutting edge have been ground to a point, the 'sides' of the axe head are faceted. There is some recent damage to the butt end, showing the original dark grey/ black colour of the flint beneath. The axehead is 133mm in length and weighs c.330g (to the nearest 10g).

Date: -3500 - -2100

Object type: AXEHEAD

Last import: August 15, 2017