Western Europe, northern France, Oise department, Hardivillers, Neolithic period, ca. 7000 to 2000 BCE. A lovely hand-knapped chert stone hand axe from the Neolithic period. The axe has a thick butt end which bears a rounded profile and tapers gently towards a sharpened tip. Deep grooves form the rocky yet smooth texture of the implement as the chert displays hues of chalky and ash gray with white and aubergine inclusions. Stone axes like this one would have been used for woodworking or tilling the soil. This knapped axe is part of the technology that marked Neolithic life in northwestern Europe, alongside farming, pottery, and longhouses. Examples of this sort are often found inside of dolmens, large granite blocks that form tombs. Size: 7.6" L x 3.8" W (19.3 cm x 9.7 cm)

Provenance: private Lemont, Illinois, USA collection, acquired in the 1980's; ex-J.L. Gasiner collection

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#176027

Some nicks and chips to stone, all commensurate with age, but otherwise intact and excellent. Inscription with find site on side as shown.