US DOLLAR
EURO
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR
CANADIAN DOLLAR
POUND STERLING
Product Description
SEE MORE UPPER PALEOLITHIC TOOLS
This is the largest and most impressive flint tool we have ever offered from the Aurignacian culture of the Upper Paleolithic Period. It is a UNIFACIAL DISCOIDAL SCRAPER, made of flint. It has an interesting story in its origin as a tool. The central bulb on the back of the flake indicates it was not struck by humans, but began as a large flake that frost ejected off a larger flint cobble. A central bulb on a flake is a telltale sign of flaking by natural frost action. The presence of the natural cobble cortex on the outer side further demonstrates this origin. A prehistoric human found the naturally discoidal flake and realized it made a perfect scraper tool. It was then further flaked and shaped around much of its edge. This secondary human flaking is SUPERB and shows masterful working to create and re-sharpen the edges.
A flake scraper of this size and shape would have been perfectly suited to deflesh and prepare large hunted game hides for making skin shelters, clothing and blankets. Most scrapers were very small in comparison yet, we know that large game was hunted by Cro-Magnons, and hides were extensively used in Upper Paleolithic life. A large scraper like this would have been invaluable to process the skins of hunted large game such as mammoth, rhino, bison, bear, horse, aurochs and reindeer.
Complete original outer cortex is present on one side which serves to help hold the tool in use. This genuine Cro-Magnon stone tool has intact mineral deposits deep in microscopic micro-crevices and lacks any modern flaking or crushing, traits only seen in authentic prehistoric specimens.
No collection of Paleolithic stone tools would be complete without the inclusion of fine examples dating to the Upper Paleolithic Period. This was an era of many of the most famous human development milestones. In this period, the technology developing around the planet took place at slightly different times but globally, humanity was taking a huge turn for the better, and in overall unison. A new level of tool production and craftsmanship emerged unlike ever seen before. Modern humans first arrive on the scene and with them, they bring many new inventions - most notable is the concept of artistic expression as seen in the famous cave paintings that were only produced in this era.
Because the majority of sites that are known to produce Middle and Upper Paleolithic artifacts have been long protected by government regulations and are off-limits to private collecting, the only way to acquire specimens is from old collections that predated these restrictions. As these sites have been off-limits for decades, genuine fine grade Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon human artifacts such as this specimen are most certain to continue to appreciate in value, as time goes on. Paleolithic tools from important sites like this are fast appreciating in value, their sites having been protected and closed to collecting for many decades now.
HISTORY
The Upper Paleolithic was an important dawning of a new age in human history and development. In this period, we find the earliest evidence of organized campsite settlements, some that had storage pits. Human artistic expression blossomed in the form of non-portable art such as cave painting and carved petroglyphs, and portable art such as bone or ivory carvings and engravings. The first evidence of human fishing is also found with the discovery of carved harpoons and hooks. It is likely that warfare amongst people increased as complex social structures emerged with an increasing availability and variety of food, as well as specialized tool types.