US DOLLAR
EURO
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR
CANADIAN DOLLAR
POUND STERLING
Product Description
This European Acheulean flake scraper tool is EXTREMELY RARE and would have been made by a primitive Homo erectus primitive human that once lived in the region of what is now, modern France. It was made on a thick flake of stunning golden orange flint found in the Indre-et-Loire region of France. The proximal end shows extensive flaking to make a smooth, concave surface for comfort when held in the hand. The cutting edges are heavily worn and show CONSIDERABLE wear use and evidence of prehistoric re-sharpening. Likely prized for its gorgeous flint color that is known for the area, this flake seems like it was kept and used over a very long period based on its wear.
The most common purpose for a flake scraper of this thickness and robust design would have been to scrape and deflesh animal hides of hunted game such as Horse, Woolly Rhino, Woolly Mammoth, Bison and Cave Bear.
Fine quality European Acheulean tools are far more rare than their Saharan counterparts and often move from one private collection to the next as many sites are now destroyed, built over or protected. In the past decades, European auctions have routinely set records for the highest prices realized on spectacular examples of Prehistoric European stone tools like this. Finest grade 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 higher rarity of these artifacts. As ever-increasing buyer demand continues to pursue the best pieces, the actual number of this material is sobering and we are likely to see prices easily rise ten-fold on top-grade specimens, in the next several 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.
From a very old former French collection. Today, digging for new specimens is forbidden and has been for decades with most of the best pieces being found in the first half of the last century. Finding an exquisite piece like this ONLY comes from coveted old collections in Europe and hand axes like this usually move from one collection to the next in private collector circles, rarely making it out of the country. Very highly recommended! No Paleolithic collection should be without representative tools of Europe's first humans!
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 certificate of authenticity and know your dealer is knowledgeable AND informed.
