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Product Description
SEE MORE NEANDERTHAL MOUSTERIAN STONE TOOLS
Made by an expert Neanderthal tool maker exhibiting the peak skill of their craft, between 160,000 and 40,000 years ago, this is an INVESTMENT GRADE Mousterian ovate flint biface hand axe dating to the Middle Paleolithic. It was found in a sand pit during the 1950's in Compiegne (Oise Department), Northern France, and comes from an old French collection as the majority of these premium specimens do. The form and execution of this extraordinary OVATE biface hand axe was fashioned by a highly skilled Neanderthal flintknapper in the classic MOUSTERIAN TRADITION. Unlike their much larger predecessors of the Acheulean Tradition, Mousterian hand axes are much smaller in comparison and exhibit more refined flaking. Exceptional Neanderthal hand axes like this are considered some of the rarest and most prized tools of Old World Paleolithic collectors around the world. It is an INVESTMENT-CLASS example with all the desirable features and best preservation these hand axes are famous for.
This Neanderthal biface hand axe was flaked out of dark gray flint. The oval shape, sharp cutting edges and intact chopping tip are all in perfect preservation as originally made. The delicate Levallois flaking and secondary retouch over the entire surface, made by a true master Neanderthal flint-knapper, has yielded a flattened form that are SELDOM seen in Mousterian hand axes. It is so impressively made and perfectly preserved that it was more likely an object of prestige to an Neanderthal because the effort to flake such a stunning masterpiece went way beyond what would have been needed for normal utilitarian use.
This axe fits well in hand and features a well-made grip - an indication of prehistoric human ingenuity in ergonomic, intelligent design. The entire perimeter and faces show expert Neanderthal secondary retouch to execute a stunningly well-made profile. The delicate chopping tip is still intact and unbroken which is EXTREMELY RARE for specimens like this. The entire surface features a rich soil sheen patina as well as ancient mineral deposits deep in microscopic crevices and hinge fractures - irrefutable evidence of prehistoric age, authenticity, and a lack of any modern alterations. This is one of the nicest and most attractive Neanderthal hand axes we have offered in quite some time.
Fine quality Mousterian Neanderthal tools are rare and often move from one private collection to the next as most sites are now depleted, destroyed, built over and all are protected by law forbidding modern day digging. It is probable by simple logistics, that over time, high grade archeological tools will most definitely appreciate in value as collector demand continues to outpace the finite supply circulating amongst collectors that buy the best pieces like this, and never resell. Investment aside, no Paleolithic collection should be without representative tools of one of the most famous primitive humans in history!
Found in one of the most iconic regions of Stone Age history, France is home to some of Europe's most spectacular Paleolithic sites. These sites have long been closed and off-limits to any collecting, which makes this scarce prehistoric weapon a highly desirable acquisition piece for the best collections or investment! Today, all source sites have been closed and protected for many decades, preventing further digging of any new artifacts - all the factors that will continue to drive values and prices for these rare artifacts up at a consistent rate of appreciation.
