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HANDAXE
Unique ID: WMID-2DE336
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
An incomplete struck / knapped quartzite pointed biface handaxe of Lower and / or Middle Palaeolithic dating (c. 800, 000 BC to c. 40,000 BC).
The handaxe is incomplete as the tip has been broken away. The biface exhibits working on both interior (upper) and exterior (lower) faces, making it a biface handaxe (Graf, A., 2004, 84).Approximately 100% of the surface has been worked, with none of the original surface or cortex remaining.
The biface is a pointed oval shape and red/brown in colour, with a thick profile, though it may well have thinned towards the tip. The exterior side of the handeaxe is smooth and has been knapping on both edges, the left edge of the exterior has been retouched to create an edge, visible by light grey marks. The interior side has a central pointed rise and retouch marks can be seen on the right dorsal edge, visible as light grey marks. The butt is rounded and has some abrasion. The handaxe itself can not be seen as fresh due to damage caused by rolling, the biface has also been impacted on the butts right exterior side, visibal as a light grey mark which covers that whole corner. The edges have been smoothed somewhat but knapping marks are still visible and retouch marks can be seen on the left exterior edge which coincides with the interior retouched right edge.
Length: 97.37 mm
Width: 77.45 mm
Thickness: 37.45 mm
Weight: 294.4 g.
Reference:
Graf, A., 2004. 'A cause for wonder: preliminary observations on further Palaeolithic surface finds by Ron Waite from around Nuneaton, Warwickshire'. Lithics - Journal of the Lithic Studies Society. 78-100.
Notes:
Handaxe has been digitally illustrated using Adobe Photoshop by Joshua Charles (Bournemouth University). Obvious facets have been highlighted. The illustrations should be used as a guide to identify the areas of deliberate percussion.
Find of note status
This is a find of note and has been designated: Regional importance
Class: pointed biface
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: PALAEOLITHIC
Subperiod to: Middle
Period to: PALAEOLITHIC
Date from: Circa 800000 BC
Date to: Exactly 40001 BC
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 97.37 mm
Width: 77.45 mm
Thickness: 37.45 mm
Weight: 294.4 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 1st November 2008 - Sunday 30th November 2008
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: Waite Collection: Staffordshire
Materials and construction
Primary material: Stone
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered
Completeness: Incomplete
Spatial metadata
Region: West Midlands (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Staffordshire (County)
District: Lichfield (District)
Parish or ward: Fazeley (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SK1902
Four figure Latitude: 52.61544364
Four figure longitude: -1.72081315
1:25K map: SK1902
1:10K map: SK10SE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graf, A. | 2004 | A cause for wonder: Preliminary observations on further Palaeolithic surface finds by Ron Waite from around Nuneaton, Warwickshire | The Lithic Studies Society | 78-105 |
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