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Description: | A complete knapped flint flaked axe of Neolithic date, c. 4500-2500 BC. The axe fits into Clough's schema (see Clough et al. 1979) as a 'thin butted' example (his type B), but is notable in being of extremely large size when compared with most other examples. Manufactured originally on an extremely large flint flake of greyish colouration with large fossil inclusions, the axe has now patinated somewhat and now demonstrates a fairly consistent off-white character interspersed with patches of mottled blue, brownish yellow inclusions, and post-depositional iron/manganese staining. One side of the axe is noticeably more stained than the other, a reason which probably hints at its original depositional environment. Despite this, the object is preserved in extremely good condition, its relatively fresh edges showing few signs of abrasion consistent with deposition in a riverine environment. In plan view it is sub-rectangular and in section lenticular with a convex cutting edge that tapers steadily to the butt of the axe, which itself is rounded. The axe has been manufactured extremely well through the means of invasive bifacial flaking. Good symmetry ensuring straight edges and a mostly even profile is certainly in evidence, though there are areas on both sides of the axe where adequate thinning has not taken place and resulted in some uneven patches where the body of the axe is noticeably thicker than the surrounding areas. Large negative flake scars running systematically down the lateral surfaces of the axe suggest secondary thinning via soft-hammer percussion, which removed most of the original flake surface remaining after initial hard-hammer roughing out. Relatively few knapping errors are visible except on one face of the axe, where two negative flake scars have terminated in hinges due to striking into slightly concave surfaces. Both of these originated from attempts to flatten the surface of the axe, and likely ultimately contributed to the knapper's failure on this point. The butt of the axe and the cutting edge are also extremely well worked, the latter in particular demonstrating very fine bifacial removals.In total, the axe measures c. 23.7cm long. At its thickest point it is 39.90mm thick and at its widest point 82.88mm wide. At the butt the axe is 9.87mm thick and 29.78mm wide, a quarter of the way down the axe it is 29.44mm thick and 58.29mm wide. Halfway down the body of the axe it measures 39.75mm thick and 71.51mm wide, and three-quarters down it measures 30.47mm thick and 80.76mm wide. The cutting edge of the axe is 72.77mm wide while being c. 8.21mm thick. It weighs 743 grammes.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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