Neolithic Finds

[ramonmercado]

A mixed bag indeed, also Iron Age and Anglo-Saxon finds.

An "exciting" discovery of a Neolithic or early Bronze Age monument has been unearthed in an archaeological dig.

Albion Archaeology made the find in a field in Biddenham, just outside Bedford, where homes are to be built. Project manager Iain Leslie said an Iron Age settlement and Anglo-Saxon remains were also discovered.

"This level of investigation of a particular area is relatively rare and offers a unique opportunity to better understand our ancestors," he said.

The monument is among the earliest remains on the site. It would have formed part of a wider landscape of similar monuments known to have existed locally within a loop of the river Great Ouse, Mr Leslie said. It is thought to have been constructed about 6,000 years ago and likely "provided a focus for ceremonial and ritual activities," he added.

Evidence of an Iron Age settlement was also found, including several storage pits and a roundhouse.

"The most unexpected discovery was the presence of relatively extensive Anglo-Saxon remains" with a "sunken-featured building" and an oven, Mr Leslie said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-57926247

 

[ramonmercado]

Neolithic necropolis on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Archeologists have unearthed eight prehistoric tombs, between 5,500 and 6,500 years old, in the heart of a Swiss town, but construction work has severely damaged three of them.

The site is the location of a famous necropolis in the Swiss town of Pully, which lies in the suburbs of the city of Lausanne in Vaud Canton, on the shores of Lake Geneva. The last discoveries reported in this district of Pully were made in 1984, according to state authorities.

A team of experts was sent in to check on the site while new construction work was underway in the area. They discovered eight new graves on Chemin de Verney Street dating back to the Neolithic period, between 4,500 and 3,500 B.C.

The necropolis stretches from Chemin de Verney Street to Chemin de Chamblandes Street and may extend even further. With the latest find, it is believed to house about 80 tombs.

The site was first discovered over a century ago by Swiss archeologist, historian and architect Albert Naef (1862–1936), a native of Lausanne.

https://www.newsweek.com/ancient-remains-6500-year-old-graves-unearthed-archeologists-1644103

 

[ramonmercado]

Saved from the flames, now going to auction. The Rev. Auld who bought it was an interesting character.

​

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and...e-could-be-yours-for-2-400-1.4774711#comments

Irish Neolithic bog oak dugout canoe, discovered in the 1970s by Rev Conn Auld in Fermanagh will be offered for sale at Bonham’s on January 26th. Estimate: £2,000-£3,000 (€2,400-€3,600)

A rare Irish Neolithic dugout canoe leads the Bonham’s Jim Lennon Collection sale in Edinburgh on Wednesday, January 26th. The canoe (£2,000-£3,000/€2,400-€3,600) was discovered by Rev Conn Auld, a Church of Ireland clergyman who died in May 2020.

Known for his preference for MG cars, Rev Auld was driving through rural Fermanagh in the 1970s when he happened upon a group of boys tending a bonfire. He discovered that the firewood consisted of bog oak canoes that had been uncovered by contractors engaged in building a nearby road. He persuaded the boys to sell one of the canoes, so that the piece of history would not be lost.

From the Neolithic period, this canoe is from the same era as the Lurgan Canoe; discovered in 1901 in Galway and now on display at the National Museum on Kildare Street. Much smaller than the colossal Lurgan boat which is the largest artefact on display in the museum, the dugout canoe from Fermanagh, serves as a reminder of life in Ireland 4,000 years ago when Neolithic man would have used stone axes to carve the boat from a piece of oak.

Rev Auld, who died at the age of 90, taught divinity at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, 1958 -1988, and served as mayor and deputy mayor of North Down Borough Council. In the 1960s he constructed St Gobban’s Church at his summer home in the coastal town at Portbradden. Measuring about 3.35m by 2m, the miniature place of worship was Ireland’s smallest church and enjoyed a short tenure as the “smallest church in the world” in the Guinness Book of Records, until it was demolished by new owners. He had discovered the grounds were one of the Christian sites established in the area by St Gobban in the 7th century, and with the assistance of local schoolboys set about turning his cowshed into a non-denominational chapel. It was used over the years for a range of Christian services including a commemoration for the victims of the Omagh bombing and a number of weddings. There was outcry over its demolition but also relief from local residents who disliked the large crowds the tiny church attracted.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and...-old-canoe-could-be-yours-for-2-400-1.4774711

 

[ramonmercado]

As he went out for a row one morning on the River Thames in London, graphic designer Simon Hunt came across a rather unexpected find.

Lying on the pebbles and rocks of the riverbed at low tide was a human femur, or upper leg bone.

Carbon dating has since indicated it to be more than 5,000 years old, but having recognised it to be from a person he immediately began to fear the worst.

"It looked very old, but part of me was thinking what if it isn't?" Mr Hunt said. "I have no idea what a bone would look like if it had only been in the water for two years, so what if it was something more sinister?" ...

It had in fact come from someone who lived in the late British Neolithic period - the end of the Stone Age. Experts had been able to date it to between 3516 and 3365 BC.

Neolithic Britain saw the arrival of farming culture, as migrants brought techniques and tools from continental Europe.

An archaeologist estimated the height of the person it belonged to as about 5ft 7in (170cm) tall, but it's not been possible to tell if they were male or female. The age of the bone means it's older than both Stonehenge in the UK and Egypt's Pyramids of Giza.
.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-60348707

 

[EnolaGaia]

Recently discovered stone walls in the UAE represent the oldest known Neolithic settlement in the area - dating back circa 8,500 years.

Oldest buildings in UAE discovered, dating back 8,500 years

Archaeologists in the United Arab Emirates have uncovered the country's oldest known buildings, dating back at least 8,500 years.

This is more than 500 years older than the previous record-breaking discoveries, according to Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism in a press release Thursday.

... the buildings are located on the island of Ghagha, west of the city of Abu Dhabi.

The structures which have been unearthed are "simple round rooms," which have stone walls that are still preserved up to a height of almost a meter (3.3 feet), the press release says.

The team said in the statement that the structures were "likely houses for a small community who may have lived on the island year-round." ...

They added that the discovery showed the existence of Neolithic settlements before long-distance maritime trade routes developed, suggesting that these were not in fact the impetus for settlements in the area as archaeologists had previously thought.

Hundreds of artifacts were also uncovered, among them "finely worked stone arrowheads that would have been used for hunting," and the team said it was "likely that the community would also have used the rich resources of the sea." ...

The previous record for oldest known buildings in the UAE was held by discoveries on the island of Marawah, also off the coast of Abu Dhabi, where the world's oldest pearl was found in 2017. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/uae-buildings-archaeology-scli-scn-intl/index.html

 

[Nemo]

Its ok, if I just dump these here or do you need to transport & realign them elsewhere?

Rare stone circle found at prehistoric ritual site in Cornwall.

Archaeologists find pits lying in crooked horseshoe formation at Castilly Henge near Bodmin.

A rare stone circle has been found at a prehistoric ritual site in Cornwall, with seven regularly spaced pits mapped by a team of archaeologists.

Bracken and scrub were cleared over the winter at Castilly Henge near Bodmin to allow archaeologists to survey the site. They found the pits lying in a crooked horseshoe formation.

Experts believe the pits may once have formed a complete ring but ground conditions at the time of the survey left archaeologists unable to gather clear data on the northern part of the henge interior.

Some stones had been removed and taken elsewhere, while others were probably pushed face down into the pits in which they once stood upright.

Castilly Henge is believed to have been built during the late Neolithic period, about 3,000–2,500BC. Defined by an external bank and an internal ditch, the henge formed an amphitheatre-style setting for gatherings and ritual activities.

(C) The Guardian. '22

 

[Nemo]

Stonehenge Neolithic builders 'feasted' on raw cow guts.

The prehistoric tribes that built Stonehenge likely "feasted" on the raw organs of cattle, scientists believe.

Analysis of human faeces found at a prehistoric village near the Wiltshire monument has uncovered evidence of parasitic worm eggs.
The study said that indicates they had eaten the raw or undercooked lungs or livers from an infected animal.
Lead author Piers Mitchell said the parasites fitted with "winter feasting" during the building of Stonehenge.
Dr Mitchell, who headed the University of Cambridge-led study, examined 19 pieces of ancient faeces, or coprolite, at Durrington Walls - a Neolithic settlement about two miles from the World Heritage site.

'Winter feasting'​

They dated from about 2500 BC when much of the famous site was constructed.
A study found that five of the coprolites - one human and four dog - contained the eggs of parasitic worms.
It is the earliest evidence for intestinal parasites in the UK where the host species that produced the faeces has also been identified.
Four of the coprolites, including the human one, contained the eggs of capillariid worms.

(C) BBC. '22.

 

[ramonmercado]

Prehistoric human bones in Guernsey discovered by coastal walker

An archaeologist estimated the remains were between 4,000 and 5,000 years old from the pottery and flint found alongside them near L'Ancresse.



View attachment 37792

Searching for Neolithic structures and artefacts in Jersey.

Researchers are hoping for "exciting discoveries" in Jersey as a new archaeology project focusing on the Neolithic period is due to be launched.

The project, called Neolithic Landscapes, will review archaeology, undertake new surveys and find out more about the era. The Neolithic period was around 4300BC to 2000BC.

Marc Yates, chair of the project, said he hoped it would "keep us occupied for many years".

The research will approach neighbours of Neolithic sites in Jersey to find out if there are items which date back to the era.

'Modern techniques'​

Mr Yates said: "Neolithic Landscapes will be a very large archaeology project for Jersey and it will keep us occupied for many years, and hopefully we will have some exciting discoveries along the way. Perhaps we will locate a site or sites where we can confidently say, this is where Neolithic people lived, ate and slept in their houses or huts."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-jersey-65401208

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Salt shaker, unearthed at Çatalhöyük and estimated at around 8,000 years old.

 

[maximus otter]

'Remarkable' discovery as 6,000-year-old carved wood found in UK​

A piece of carved wood discovered by chance is more than 6,000 years old - making it the oldest of its kind in the UK, experts say.

The decorative markings were made by Late Mesolithic people 2,000 years before Stonehenge was built and 4,500 years before the Romans came to Britain.

The metre-long piece of oak was discovered lying in peat during the construction of an outbuilding at a property in the village of Boxford in Berkshire.

Historic England has dated the specimen to the Late Mesolithic period (4640-4605 BC).

Experts suggest it pre-dates by 500 years the only other known Mesolithic carved timber in Britain, discovered near Maerdy in Wales.

The purpose of the markings on the wood is not known but they look similar to the decoration seen on early Neolithic pottery.

https://news.sky.com/story/remarkable-discovery-as-6-000-year-old-carved-wood-found-in-uk-12897489

maximus otter

 

[Mythopoeika]

I'm going to take a guess and say that I think it was for stretching out an animal skin so fur could be removed.

 

[maximus otter]

I'm going to take a guess and say that I think it was for stretching out an animal skin so fur could be removed.

Something like this would be more traditional:

maximus otter

 

[Mythopoeika]

Something like this would be more traditional:

maximus otter

Yes, but techniques of 6000 years ago may have been different. Not every hunter-gatherer had that design in their mind.

 

[Sid]

Something like this would be more traditional:

maximus otter

Standing it on it's end, (pointy bit facing up) it could be a marked signpost, just the same as the possibility of standing stones that have cup, and line marks! Maybe, stones weren't so easy to come by in this particular area, so they just used natural materials as a large slab of Oak to make their marks?

 

[Mungoman]

I reckon consider first of all what it's associated with - the 'fabric' that surrounded it - it seems unfortunate that it wasn't left in situ, so that the techn iques of archaeology could have been imposed on the immediate area, but Peat, which indicates a a previous bog/swamp/water hollow had a particular significance.

Maybe a totemistic application? Wasn't Doggerland and its flooding around about then?

 

[maximus otter]

Stonehenge-like 4,000-year-old sanctuary discovered in Netherlands

Archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old sanctuary made up of ditches and burial mounds in the central Netherlands that they believe may have served a similar purpose to Stonehenge.

Like the famous stone circle in southern England, the sanctuary - which was as big as at least three soccer fields and built with soil and wood - was built to align with the sun on the solstices.

The archaeologists also discovered offerings, including animal skeletons, human skulls and valuable items such as a bronze spearhead, at the spots where the sun shone through the openings, according to a statement from the municipality of Tiel, a town around 70 km (45 miles) east of Rotterdam where the site was excavated.

https://m.jpost.com/archaeology/article-747101

maximus otter

 

[ramonmercado]

Stars, Stones and Giant Trolls. Vid at link.

It might seem unlikely, but a visit to an ancient Neolithic site in the County Tyrone countryside can evolve into a journey through time and space.

Local historians and Mid Ulster Council are trying to raise awareness of the Beaghmore Stone Circle's astronomical connections. The seven mystical circles and 10 rows of stones are nestled amid the green grass and heather-clad moorland of the Sperrin Mountains. Just a couple of miles away on the outskirts of Cookstown, a state-of-the-art observatory has been built in Davagh Forest.

The location of Northern Ireland's only Dark Sky Park is no coincidence. Local historian and tour guide Hugh McCloy believes it's important that more people know about the connection between the Beaghmore stones and modern astrology.

He said: "You can come here look up at the sky at night and you'll see the Milky Way shining at you, as bright as you'll see it nearly anywhere in the world. Thousands of years ago our ancestors came up here at night to look at the stars, and now we're recreating that."

IMAGE SOURCE, MID ULSTER COUNCIL Image caption, The Beaghmore Stone Circles are located at the foot of the Sperrin mountains

The Beaghmore Stone Circles are located at the foot of the Sperrin mountains - one of the few areas in Northern Ireland unaffected by light pollution.

Beaghmore (Bheitheach Mhór), meaning "big place of birch trees", was once a dense woodland before being cleared by Neolithic farmers.
Hearths and deposits of flint tools found here have been carbon dated to 2900-2600BC.

The stone circles and alignments were discovered in the late 1930s when a local worker, George Barnett, was cutting peat.

Following an archaeological dig a further 1,269 stones were uncovered.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-66039976

 

[hunck]

Discovery of up to 25 Mesolithic pits in Bedfordshire astounds archaeologists​

Found in Linmere, they date from the Mesolithic period, 12,000 to 6,000 years ago, a time from which few clues into the lives of our hunter-gatherer ancestors survive.

The pits could offer extraordinary new insights. They are in alignments and clustered around former stream channels, suggesting a spiritual significance.

Such is the scale of this site that it has more such pits in a single area than anywhere else in England and Wales, including Stonehenge. Radiocarbon dating revealed they are from 7,700 to 8,500 years ago.

Digging such vast pits would have been an extraordinary feat. Measuring up to 5 metres (16.4ft) wide and 1.85 metres deep, each one is round with steep sides, some flaring out into a wider base.

Yvonne Wolframm-Murray, a project officer at Mola, said the discovery was completely unexpected: “We knew there was archaeology, but didn’t initially know we had Mesolithic pits until the radiocarbon dates came back. It’s very exciting … There’s only a handful of known other sites with pits that are comparable, certainly quantity-wise.”

The archaeologists have wondered whether the pits were used in hunting or storing food, but they believe their shape and size make such theories unlikely. They are struck by the way the pits were laid out in a number of straight lines, up to 500 metres long. While there are other Mesolithic pits dug in alignments in Britain, the Linmere alignments seem to be linked to former stream channels.

 

[Bad Bungle]

Salt shaker, unearthed at Çatalhöyük and estimated at around 8,000 years old.

View attachment 66631

Was wondering how you get the salt in the shaker and keep it in ?

 

[Sid]

Was wondering how you get the salt in the shaker and keep it in ?

Probably had a plug of wood in a hole beneath it?

 

[maximus otter]

Giant stone artefacts discovered on rare Ice Age site in Kent

Researchers have discovered some of the largest early prehistoric stone tools in Britain, including a footlong handaxe almost too big to be handled.

The excavations, which took place in Kent, revealed prehistoric artefacts in deep Ice Age sediments preserved on a hillside above the Medway Valley.

The researchers, from UCL Archaeology South-East, discovered 800 stone artefacts thought to be more than 300,000 years old, buried in material which filled a sinkhole and ancient river channel.

Two extremely large flint knives described as giant handaxes were among the unearthed artefacts.

Letty Ingrey, UCL Institute of Archaeology, said: 'Giant handaxes like this are usually found in the Thames and Medway regions and date from over 300,000 years ago.

'These handaxes are so big it's difficult to imagine how they could have been easily held and used.

'Perhaps they fulfilled a less practical or more symbolic function than other tools.”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/science...one-HANDAXE-discovered-Ice-Age-site-Kent.html

maximus otter

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Giant stone artefacts discovered on rare Ice Age site in Kent

Researchers have discovered some of the largest early prehistoric stone tools in Britain, including a footlong handaxe almost too big to be handled.

The excavations, which took place in Kent, revealed prehistoric artefacts in deep Ice Age sediments preserved on a hillside above the Medway Valley.

The researchers, from UCL Archaeology South-East, discovered 800 stone artefacts thought to be more than 300,000 years old, buried in material which filled a sinkhole and ancient river channel.

Two extremely large flint knives described as giant handaxes were among the unearthed artefacts.

Letty Ingrey, UCL Institute of Archaeology, said: 'Giant handaxes like this are usually found in the Thames and Medway regions and date from over 300,000 years ago.

'These handaxes are so big it's difficult to imagine how they could have been easily held and used.

'Perhaps they fulfilled a less practical or more symbolic function than other tools.”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/science...one-HANDAXE-discovered-Ice-Age-site-Kent.html

maximus otter

Homo Heidelbergensis or Neanderthal?
Either way, they must have been wielded by some hefty geezers.

 

[Sid]

Giant stone artefacts discovered on rare Ice Age site in Kent

Researchers have discovered some of the largest early prehistoric stone tools in Britain, including a footlong handaxe almost too big to be handled.

The excavations, which took place in Kent, revealed prehistoric artefacts in deep Ice Age sediments preserved on a hillside above the Medway Valley.

The researchers, from UCL Archaeology South-East, discovered 800 stone artefacts thought to be more than 300,000 years old, buried in material which filled a sinkhole and ancient river channel.

Two extremely large flint knives described as giant handaxes were among the unearthed artefacts.

Letty Ingrey, UCL Institute of Archaeology, said: 'Giant handaxes like this are usually found in the Thames and Medway regions and date from over 300,000 years ago.

'These handaxes are so big it's difficult to imagine how they could have been easily held and used.

'Perhaps they fulfilled a less practical or more symbolic function than other tools.”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/science...one-HANDAXE-discovered-Ice-Age-site-Kent.html

maximus otter

A two-handed axe - or, possibly used by giants?

 

[Tunn11]

Sort of neolithic arms race?

"We've got a bigger hand axe than you."
"Go on then, pick it up."
"Oh, bugger."

 

[ramonmercado]

Giant stone artefacts discovered on rare Ice Age site in Kent

Researchers have discovered some of the largest early prehistoric stone tools in Britain, including a footlong handaxe almost too big to be handled.

The excavations, which took place in Kent, revealed prehistoric artefacts in deep Ice Age sediments preserved on a hillside above the Medway Valley.

The researchers, from UCL Archaeology South-East, discovered 800 stone artefacts thought to be more than 300,000 years old, buried in material which filled a sinkhole and ancient river channel.

Two extremely large flint knives described as giant handaxes were among the unearthed artefacts.

Letty Ingrey, UCL Institute of Archaeology, said: 'Giant handaxes like this are usually found in the Thames and Medway regions and date from over 300,000 years ago.

'These handaxes are so big it's difficult to imagine how they could have been easily held and used.

'Perhaps they fulfilled a less practical or more symbolic function than other tools.”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/science...one-HANDAXE-discovered-Ice-Age-site-Kent.html

maximus otter

There were giants in the earth in those days.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Looks very similar to this hand axe found in Furze Platt, Berkshire in 1919 and thought to be a Neanderthal artefact.

Possibly used to butcher large game.

 

[Frideswide]

* one up man ship
* apprentice piece
* heirloom piece
* ritual (in the broadest sense)

otherwise I'm with @ramonmercado above!
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/neolithic-finds.41938/page-5#post-2274422

 

[Tunn11]

Does anyone actually know how a hand axe was used and what for? If -as in the illustration above- it was gripped tightly in one or two hands then surely any impact/pressure will cut the user's hand? Wouldn't it have been better and not beyond the knapper's skill to have a more rounded "handle"?

 

[Frideswide]

Does anyone actually know how a hand axe was used and what for? If -as in the illustration above- it was gripped tightly in one or two hands then surely any impact/pressure will cut the user's hand? Wouldn't it have been better and not beyond the knapper's skill to have a more rounded "handle"?

If I'm remembering correctly, all ways are possible. All ways have been suggested by the evidence. Mostly, for any particular example, we don't know.

 

[ramonmercado]

Does anyone actually know how a hand axe was used and what for? If -as in the illustration above- it was gripped tightly in one or two hands then surely any impact/pressure will cut the user's hand? Wouldn't it have been better and not beyond the knapper's skill to have a more rounded "handle"?

Like this.