🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Neolithic Flint Axe?

[samdowns1]

Hi,
I have only just discovered this page so sorry if this post is in the wrong thread etc...
I have recently been given a neolithic flint (?) axehead by my grandpa and I am just wondering if anyone can give me a bit more information about it such as how it was made, how old it could be and who could have used it. Pictures below
The only bit of information we have on it is a note that my grandpa wrote when he gave it to me. It reads:

'Flint axe given to your great grandfather by a fisherman friend. Found in the river Ure at Boroughbridge (North Yorkshire, England) in 1920/1930. Neolithic? 3-5000 years old?'

Any information about these sorts of tools will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,

 

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[ToddsPoint]

Very nice axe! Those were knapped from flint then ground and polished by hand. Since flint is super hard it took a lot of effort to completely polish. Here’s one I chipped from flint. It probably took an hour to make, maybe a bit more. The polishing would takes days or even longer. I’m not up on prices of European artifacts but I’d guess you could get $1000 for it at a US artifact show.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Looking at your axe again, I’m not so sure it’s flint. It could be greenstone, which was also available and used in the UK. Greenstone is a very tough metamorphic rock.

 

[samdowns1]

Looking at your axe again, I’m not so sure it’s flint. It could be greenstone, which was also available and used in the UK. Greenstone is a very tough metamorphic rock.

Ah thanks for the information, really appreciate it. Will have a google of Greenstone axes to see what I can find. It is much heavier than it looks.
Thanks again
Sam

 

[pepperj]

Greenstone (archaeology) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That's a beautiful axe, what a special piece to have been given at the time.

Wonder if you could do a photo or 2 in natural lighting to see the material better (colour/grain)

 

[dognose]

it looks like a celt to me.
Very well polished. well formed with good symmetry

 

[tamrock]

That's such a unique artifact. I went to a Stonehenge exhibit at the Denver Museum of Natural History. It was all mostly about Neolithic times. There were many artifacts of stone to the dawn of metals and artifacts of copper and even a few pieces of gold. All very interesting to me it was.

Stonehenge Times.

Went to see a special exhibit of Stonehenge at the Denver museum today as my daughter invited me and her mother and said she'd pay. It's so interesting to think about and see these artifacts made by people thousands of years ago and wonder what the world was like back then. I had to think...

www.treasurenet.com

 

[Ant1981]

Hi,
I have only just discovered this page so sorry if this post is in the wrong thread etc...
I have recently been given a neolithic flint (?) axehead by my grandpa and I am just wondering if anyone can give me a bit more information about it such as how it was made, how old it could be and who could have used it. Pictures below
The only bit of information we have on it is a note that my grandpa wrote when he gave it to me. It reads:

'Flint axe given to your great grandfather by a fisherman friend. Found in the river Ure at Boroughbridge (North Yorkshire, England) in 1920/1930. Neolithic? 3-5000 years old?'

Any information about these sorts of tools will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,

Hi, looks to be a material called Langdale Tuff. Volcanic material that cooled down quickly after the eruption.

Langdale material is recorded as the most used material for polished Neolithic celts as it is strong and did the job well.

Langdale Tuff material only comes from one location, Cumbria in the North West of England. It was mined and transported across the UK.

Your axe would of been attached to wood and used to cut down trees. There are comparable to modern metal axes we use today for efficency.

I have found quite a few myself here in the UK

I have also messaged you

Ant

 

[Ant1981]

Hi,
I have only just discovered this page so sorry if this post is in the wrong thread etc...
I have recently been given a neolithic flint (?) axehead by my grandpa and I am just wondering if anyone can give me a bit more information about it such as how it was made, how old it could be and who could have used it. Pictures below
The only bit of information we have on it is a note that my grandpa wrote when he gave it to me. It reads:

'Flint axe given to your great grandfather by a fisherman friend. Found in the river Ure at Boroughbridge (North Yorkshire, England) in 1920/1930. Neolithic? 3-5000 years old?'

Any information about these sorts of tools will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,

Hi, I have messaged you

 

[samdowns1]

Greenstone (archaeology) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That's a beautiful axe, what a special piece to have been given at the time.

Wonder if you could do a photo or 2 in natural lighting to see the material better (colour/grain)

Hi,

Please find some more images under different lighting. A £1 coin has been added to give some scale.
From information gathered already I believe this to be a Neolithic, greenstone axehead probably made in the Langdales in Cumbria, England.

Any further information would be greatly appreciated such as how old it is etc.
Thanks,

 

[Ant1981]

Hi,

Please find some more images under different lighting. A £1 coin has been added to give some scale.
From information gathered already I believe this to be a Neolithic, greenstone axehead probably made in the Langdales in Cumbria, England.

Any further information would be greatly appreciated such as how old it is etc.
Thanks,

Langdale axe industry https://g.co/kgs/6t5Ris

Here is a link to everything you would like to know on age, type of stone and the history

 

[Ant1981]

Langdale axe industry https://g.co/kgs/6t5Ris

Here is a link to everything you would like to know on age, type of stone and the history

To help, its around 6500 to 8000 years old

 

[samdowns1]

To help, its around 6500 to 8000 years old

Thanks for all the info, really appreciate it.

 

[magua]

I usually don't respond with "attaboy" posts but Wow...so clean. What a nice axe. Your grandfather gave you a truly nice keepsake.