Product Description
This authentic stone tool was fashioned by Neanderthals over 40,000 years ago out of flint and collected from a former Neanderthal occupation site in France, considered to be the "Capitol of Prehistory". The site this specimen was excavated from is now closed and protected by the government. The fact that this archeological site is off-limits to any collecting, makes this wonderful stone tool artifact exceedingly rare and desirable! Because collecting these artifacts has been off-limits for decades, genuine fine grade Mousterian Neanderthal tools such as this specimen are most certain to continue to appreciate in value as time goes on.
This is a FINEST GRADE Neanderthal flint tool classified as a RABOT SCRAPER OR PLANER. An interesting feature is the polished area on the underside of one end - a result of wear from being held by its former Neanderthal user. A tool like this utilizes a thick flake to allow a very steep cutting edge to be made on one end. It is used as a planer to scrape by pushing away from the user and against the object you wish to scrape. A typical use of this tool would have been to de-flesh hides that would be used for clothing, etc.. You can see fantastic secondary retouch along the distal cutting edge where the flake was shaped to form this scraper. The cutting edge shows fantastic MOUSTERIAN QUINA RETOUCH, also called SCALAR retouch, whereby the original Neanderthal maker hit an edge of the tool with a series of secondary blows giving the effect of fish scales. This trait was first attributed to the La Quina Mousterian type-site in France but is occasionally seen on tools from various sites all dated to the Mousterian Middle Paleolithic era.
This fantastic flake tool is complete with evidence of prehistoric use. Present are intact mineral deposits and deep patina on the flint surfaces and hinge fractures to testify to its authenticity and lack of any modern alterations. A superb example from this famous Neanderthal region!