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Product Description
SEE MORE LOWER PALEOLITHIC ACHEULEAN STONE ARTIFACTS
For comparison prices, please reference realized prices of major auction houses such as Christies Further prices (although dated) can be seen in "Old World Typology and Price Guide" section of the "OVERSTREET IDENTIFICATION AND PRICE GUIDE TO INDIAN ARROWHEADS" editions 7th, 8th and 9th.
This superb British Lower Paleolithic flint bifacial hand axe dates back to the Middle Pleistocene and was made with the finest Acheulean tool technology. The form and execution of this extraordinary twisted ovate hand axe was fashioned by a Homo heidelbergensis primitive human, 400,000 years ago in what is now the Thames Region of Swanscombe, Kent, England. This specimen hails from the world famous Ricksons Pit, a legendary site that produced many of the finest Lower Paleolithic hand axes now housed in the British Museum. The unique twisted form on this example, is so unusual that entire scientific papers have been dedicated to this enigmatic flaking style. (see references at the end of this page).
Dating back to the Lower Paleolithic Period, this hand axe was made in the Acheulean Tradition, the predominant tool technology of the Homo erectus (Homo heidelbergensis) people in Europe from 1 million years ago to possibly as recent as 130,000 years ago. Fine quality English Lower Paleolithic hand axes like this are legendary among collectors. They all were found long ago, in the early to mid 20th century, with many in the 19th century, when open gravel pits were commonly dug during the industrial age of England. Many of the finest known European Early Man hand axes in major museums have come from these former English gravel pits.
This MUSEUM-CLASS specimen is no exception!!! Most certainly a prestige piece to a prehistoric human, this remarkable example displays SUPERB bifacial flaking throughout. In the past 30+ years of selling, this is the finest English Lower Paleolithic hand axe we have ever offered. The unique color banding in the flint has been further colored by the extreme age of the flint that was patinated with warm golden cream, tan and gray hues. The original sediment minerals are still intact. The blade-like tip is intact and the entire axe shows THE FINEST masterful flaking and form, a prize of a highly skilled Homo erectus primitive human who once lived in what is now present-day England!
A TRUE INVESTMENT-GRADE, GRAIL SPECIMEN! PERFECT FORM AND WITH THE MOST SKILLED FLAKING AND WORKMANSHIP! IMPOSSIBLE TO IMPROVE ON WITH COLOR PATTERNS LIKE THIS!
The finest Lower Paleolithic hand axes often move from one private collection to the next as many discovery sites are now destroyed, built over or protected. In past decades, European auctions have routinely set records for the highest prices realized on spectacular examples of prehistoric European Stone Age artifacts like this, often likening them to the earliest forms of human-created art. Fine specimens are so few in number while the buyer market continues to expand and chase after the best material, with no apparent price ceiling in sight. Nevertheless, the prices STILL, are a paltry comparison to much of the more mature rare collectibles on the market and Paleolithic artifact prices still really don't reflect the substantially HIGH rarity of these artifacts. As ever-increasing buyer demand continues to pursue the best pieces, the actual limited quantity of this material is sobering, and we are likely to see prices easily rise ten-fold on top-grade specimens, in the near coming years. The words "undervalued" and "collectible" are seldom found together in today's world but the realm of European and African Paleolithic artifacts is one where you can still find an emerging market and one of the greatest promises for future investment.
WARNING: This specimen possesses a fine prehistoric patina and mineral deposits. Such traits are missing in the fake tools being passed off as genuine tools by fraudulent and/or uninformed dealers selling in auctions, online, at shops and shows. The market is currently awash in fakes and ancient debris shards sold as genuine Paleolithic tools. Make sure you get an unconditional WRITTEN certificate of authenticity and know your dealer is knowledgeable AND informed.
REFERENCES
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jqs.1042
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Isotope_Stage_11
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-prehistoric-society/article/twisted-handaxes-in-middle-pleistocene-britain-and-their-implications-for-regionalscale-cultural-variation-and-the-deep-history-of-acheulean-hominin-groups/2B8772A5F2DBA381A3F1248E3AAFCAF9
