Archaic UK Prehistoric Lower / Middle Palaeolithic Giant Flint Handaxe (Biface) For Sale

Archaic Lower/Middle Palaeolithic 'Giant, Flint Handaxe (Biface) Created by Homo heidelbergensis or early Homo neanderthalensis.

Provenance.

UK Cambridgeshire Fen-edge- Georeference:

52°30'19.68"N 0°16'09.96"W

Extremely Rare at this mammoth size, proportions, very fine none-tumbeled condition and exquisitely formed patina.

​Object Class: Lithic / Hand-held stone tool

​Material:

High-quality translucent flint with dual-colour patina (rich, iron-stained orange-yellow chalky cortex transitioning to a glassy grey-brown interior.

​Dimensions & Weight:

• ​Length: 180 mm
• ​Max Width: 125 mm
• ​Thickness: 45 mm - (highly uniform tabular profile)
• ​Weight: 1,380 grams - (Giant-class)

​Period / Date Range:

Lower to Middle Palaeolithic (Acheulean to early Mousterian transition), approximately 300,000 to 100,000 BP. Created by Homo heidelbergensis or early Homo neanderthalensis.

​Diagnostic Features:

​Bifacial Knapping: Clear, systematic conchoidal flake scars along the working edge forming a robust, heavy-duty cutting bevel.

​Ergonomic Design:

Large portion of the smooth, unworked natural cortex left intact at the broad butt-end, serving as a comfortable hand-grip to protect the palm during high-impact use.

​Landscape Significance:

Proves deep-time hominin presence and active resource/game processing in the river basin hundreds of thousands of years prior to historical infrastructure and Roman development.

Lithic Reference Specific.

• Butler, Chris (2005). Prehistoric Flintwork.

• ​Andrefsky, William (2005). Lithics: Macroscopic Approaches to Analysis (Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology).

• ​Martingell, Hazel and Saville, Alan (1988). The Illustration of Lithic Artefacts: A Guide to Drawing Stone Tools for Specialist Reports.

General Reference material and further reading: 

Where possible ancient artifacts may be referenced to similar material observed in the following publications within my collection:

• British Artefacts Vol.1, 2 and 3: Brett Hammond [Greenlight Publishing 2010]:

• Celtic & Roman Artefacts: Nigel Mills [Greenlight Publishing 2007]:

• SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome: Mary Beard [Profile Books 2015]:

• 50 Bronze Age Artefacts: Portable Antiquities Scheme: Dot Boughton [Amberley Publishing 2021]:

• Pottery in Britain 4000BC to AD 1900: Lloyd Laing [Greenlight Publishing 2003]:

• British Iron Age Coins In The British Museum: Richard Hobbs [British Museum 1996]:

• Swords of The Viking Age: Ian Peirce: [The Boydell Press 2003]:

• Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society Volume 85: [Cambridge University Press 2019].

• Mesolithic Europe: Geoff Bailey / Penny Spikins [Cambridge University Press 2008]

• Viking Art: James Graham-Campbell: [Thames & Hudson, London 2018]

• Roman Coins Vol. 1, 2 & 3: David R Sear: [Spink London 2000]:

• The Roman Cavalry: Karen R. Dixon: [B. . Batsford 1997]:

• Rome’s Saxon Shore: Coastal Defenses of Roman Britain AD 250 – 500: Nic Fields [Osprey Publishing 2006]:

• Amulets of Ancient Egypt: Carol Andrews: [University of Texas Press / British Museum Press 1994]:

The Uniforms of the Roman World: Military dress, weapons, artillery, ships, siege engines and fortifications: Kevin F. Killey: [Anness Publishing 2017]:

Where possible finger rings may be referenced to similar material observed in the following publications within my collection:

• Victorian and Albert Museum CATALOGUE OF FINGER RINGS 1930: C.C.Oman [Anglia Publishing. 1991 – Now out of print]:

• Finger Rings: Diana Scarisbrick / Martin Henig: [Ashmolean Museum Oxford. 2003]:

• Ancient Rings An Illustrated Collectors Guide: T. N. Polio: [McFarland & Co Inc. 2018:

• 1000 Rings: Inspiring Adornments of the Hand: Le Van, Marthe; Ebendorf, Robert [W: Lark Books 2004]:

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