Hand Axe

Hand Axe

Object name: Hand Axe
Date: 4000-2500 BC
Dimensions:
70 x 50 x 25 mm
Medium: Stone
Object number: C00171
DescriptionPolished stone axe head, described as made of "greenstone" in the original catalogue.
The Neolithic era started around 4000 BCE. During this period people began to live in fairly permanent settlements, rather than a more nomadic hunter gatherer existence.
Settlement meant that farming and cultivation could take place. Early farmers would have used precisely ground tools like this for chopping and other tasks. It's likely they could have continued to do so even after metal tools were developed around 2100 BCE, as the new metal technologies would have taken time to spread.

Culture: Possibly British