Record ID: DOR-F0907F
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A partial (broken) ovate handaxe made from fine-grained Greensand chert. Slightly plano-convex cross-section with a large area of unmodified, worn cortex/nodule surface forming part of one margin and part of the central axial ridge  on the more convex face. Primary flaking comprises large, broad, shallow flakes, with some finer dressing to refine the almost straight cutting edges (no 'S' twist evident). One end has become detached in antiquity indicating it was not a deliberate butt. The break truncates at least one primary flake scar on the more planar face. The handaxe&n…
Created on: Monday 13th March 2023
Last updated: Saturday 25th March 2023
No spatial data available.

Record ID: DOR-F04E87
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A handaxe made on a rounded nodule of mottled mid to dark grey flint. The butt is principally formed from worn, chalky cortex, modified by an area of steep flaking on both faces. The resulting sharp edges appear deliberately battered to blunt. The remainder is all-over flaked, with shallow flake scars except for the area of stacked hinge fractures on one face. The margins are slightly zig-zagged and gently concave, originally converging to a narrow, elongate pointed tip, which has been lost to more recent damage. The handaxe has a pointed oval section. Date: Lower P…
Created on: Monday 13th March 2023
Last updated: Saturday 25th March 2023
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-EFE4E3
Object type: LITHIC IMPLEMENT
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A bifacially worked flint implement made on an irregular nodule of opaque mottled orangey brown flint. Areas of worn chalky cortex remain on both faces and part of one margin. The remainder of the surface comprises irregular, sometimes deep flake scars, many of which have hinge terminations. Neither the butt nor the tip are well formed and one margin appears truncated by very steep opportunistic flaking. The object may be an abandoned hand-axe blank or roughout which has failed because of large flaws within the stone. The steep truncated margin may indicate subsequent salvagi…
Created on: Monday 13th March 2023
Last updated: Saturday 25th March 2023
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-5E54EB
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A bi-facially worked flint implement. Probably a small handaxe. It is now cordate in shape, but the edge damage means this is not certain and it is possible it was originally a more Boute Coupé-like form. The handaxe has been made on a large flake of mid grey flint, giving it a plano-convex profile. There is heavy, off-white patination over both faces, that on the dorsal face is slightly thicker and more yellowed. There is iron staining along many of the flake ridges. There is a small area of basal cortex on the dorsal face. There are several areas of mo…
Created on: Tuesday 29th November 2022
Last updated: Tuesday 29th November 2022
No spatial data available.

Record ID: DOR-A0A5FF
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A flaked handaxe. A bout coupé handaxe. The flint is dark brown and patinated to a glossy light orange-brown and cream. The flint is highly siliceous. There is an area of abraded thick nodule cortex on one side of the butt. The axe is sub-triangular or cordiform in plan, with a plano-convex cross section and a straight profile. One face has a large post-depositional thermal fracture scar (a "pot-lid" removal) which is patinated to a paler, more matt, off-white. There are also several thermal fracture lines visible on both faces. Both faces are covered in soft-hammer flake removals r…
Created on: Thursday 9th September 2021
Last updated: Monday 11th October 2021
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-28D513
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A flint handaxe. A narrow, thick-butted handaxe made on a nodule of pale grey to mid-grey flint. The handaxe has been rolled and the small areas of cortex that r3emain are abraded. The surface has a low-gloss orange patina. It has been bifacially worked and has a plano-convex cross section. There are large shallow flaking scars along the long edges on both faces and a marked hinge fracture at one side on the planar face. The butt is thick and more steeply flaked. There are areas of abraded cortex on bot faces. One long edge is slightly curved and the other is straight. The wear and …
Created on: Thursday 29th July 2021
Last updated: Friday 13th August 2021
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-EEF918
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A crude, unifacially worked probable handaxe. Made on a large, natural flint flake. One face retains the naturally broken surface. There is a natural perpendicular break at one end, used to form the butt of the implement. The other face has crude covering flaking worked from the margins to form the sub-triangular shape. The surfaces are all heavily abraded with significant rolling abrasion to the flake scar ridges. It is heavily stained and repatinated to a dark orange brown. There is some post-depositional edge damage. Date: Lower to Middle Palaeolithic - c. 500000 to 40000 BC
Created on: Monday 27th January 2020
Last updated: Tuesday 28th January 2020
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-B82A3D
Object type: DEBITAGE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A large flint blade flake or blade. A tertiary flake of heavily patinated and worn pale grey flint. The patina is matt and yellow-white. An elongate flake with a trapeziodal cross section. A wide striking platform at the proximal end and possibly broken distally. There is a wide bulb of percussion with radiating hackles at on the ventral face of the proximal end and widely space waves of percussion along the length. On the dorsal face are three main parallel flake removals and a smaller flake removal at the top. The patination is not typical of the usual calcareous Dorset soils. The e…
Created on: Wednesday 27th March 2019
Last updated: Wednesday 27th March 2019
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-18C735
Object type: FLAKE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A possible Levalloisian core flake. Sub-oval in shape with a lenticular cross-section. The flaking appears intentionally to have shaped the flint while still on the original core, creating a distinctive 'tortoise shell' flaking, typical of Levallois flint technology. The ventral face shows a prominent bulb of percussion indicating probable use of a hard hammer. The flint is opaque and mid-grey with a mid-gloss patina but is now covered in a smooth off-white recortification except for an area of modern damage on the right side margin of the dorsal face which exposes the natural colour …
Created on: Monday 12th February 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 13th March 2018
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-CE041D
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An Acheulian greensand chert handaxe of 'ovate' type. The axe is well thinned and both faces exhibit large, shallow flake scars all over with only minor secondary edge working. The slightly irregular cutting edge extends around the entire axe, including the slightly squared butt, and the piece exhibits a marked S-twist. The chert is mid orange-brown and fine grained, largely reflecting the original colour (seen in areas of minor edge damage); the patina on one face is matt, the other slightly semi-gloss. Flake scar ridges are slightly abraded but there is no evidence for prolonged …
Created on: Monday 15th January 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 23rd January 2018
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-CDE218
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Published
An Acheulian greensand chert handaxe of 'ficron' type with an elongated tapering point and larger rounded butt. Both faces are carefully flaked to produce a lenticular cross section, thinning along the axis of the axe to a fine blunt-pointed tip. The margins of the axe are slightly convex and also carefully worked to form even centre line edges. The sub-squared butt is formed from two natural fractures and has been battered to blunt the edge created by axial flaking on the opposite face. The original chert seems to be variable mid brown-grey and particularily fine grained. Surface…
Created on: Monday 15th January 2018
Last updated: Thursday 25th April 2019
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-CDA09D
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An Acheulian greensand chert handaxe of 'cordate' type. Both faces are flaked all over by indeterminate mode percussion. One face has a well-developed convex flake pattern, the other has a slightly off-centre axial ridge, enhanced by a well-developed hinge fracture to one side. The waist of the axe is relatively thick, and the asymmetrical butt has a wedge shaped axial profile. The chert was originally mid to dark orange brown and now has a slight repatination, all surfaces are matt. One area of hard greensand remains, forming part of the waist of the axe. There is slight abrasion …
Created on: Monday 15th January 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 23rd January 2018
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-343987
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A large chert handaxe. An elongate cordate handaxe in toffee-coloured Greensand chert. It is bifacially worked all over with shallow, sometimes large invasive flaking and smaller edge-dressing. The axe has a well formed and generally straight mid-line cutting edge around its entire margin. There is a single large hinge fracture et the edge of the point where a flake removal has failed. On the opposite face there is also an area of step-fracturing as a result of the weakened platform. The handaxe is unrolled, although the cutting edges and flake scar ridges have been somewhat blunted b…
Created on: Saturday 21st January 2017
Last updated: Monday 23rd January 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-9046AE
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete thick butted handaxe of 'pointed' or 'sub-cordate' type. Bifacially flaked on nodular flint with coarse inclusions. Areas of weathered chalky cortex survive on the butt and on one face. Flaking is steep to semi-invasive, with some relatively deep scars, producing a crude trapezoidal to lenticular cross section. Edges are irregular but overall are broadly straight and mid-line. The tip has been lost by flaking in antiquity. There is a zone of surface chatter at the butt end of the object - possibly the result of percussion or battering activities but equally possibly natu…
Created on: Friday 13th January 2017
Last updated: Tuesday 16th January 2018
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-D2D2E5
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A thick-butted handaxe made on a weathered secondary nodule of mid to dark grey flint, visible on a small area of modern damage on the tip. Sub-cordate in shape with an asymmetric cross-section, the exposed flint covering 90% of one face has developed a thick high-gloss mottled greyish white repatination while the other face shows a thicker more chalky white, matte recortification, the butt retains thick, chalky nodule cortex and incorporates a natural thermal spall scar. The remainder of the object has shallow, irregular invasive conchoidal flaking on both faces affected on one fa…
Created on: Wednesday 4th January 2017
Last updated: Thursday 23rd February 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-9004C1
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete sub-triangular flint handaxe, most probably of a lower palaeolithic date. Sub-cordate in shape and made on a weathered nodule of flint with cortex remaining on the butt. There is minor modern damage to the butt that indicates the flint was originally opaque pale grey. The axe is bifacially worked with more gnarly flaking on one face and more even flakes over most of the opposing face. The flake scars are generally shallow, and the edges of the axe are irregular midline or near midline. The cross-section of the axe is asymmetrically oval and tip has been broken off obl…
Created on: Monday 26th September 2016
Last updated: Tuesday 24th January 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-A494A4
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A small thick-butted pointed handaxe made on a thermally fractured secondary mid grey flint nodule fragment. Thick cortex remains on the butt-end of one face. Crudely bifacially flaked using probable hard hammer. The butt itself has been superficially dressed to remove a small area of cortex. The sides of the axe are incurved and the cross section is pointed oval. There is an all over mid-gloss patina. A lower palaeolithic date for this object may be evidenced by incipient thermal cracks within the flint. Such cracks are often seen in lower palaeolithic material and relate to natur…
Created on: Monday 4th July 2016
Last updated: Tuesday 24th January 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-A4465E
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A partial or broken pointed thick-butted, crude handaxe made on an irregular flint nodule. Probably originally broadly triangular and pointed in form, one side of the butt and part of the associated margin has detached along a thermal fracture line, the break having an off-white patina. Crudely flaked, possibly using a hard hammer on both faces, it has a sub-triangular section to the tip end and areas of abraded cortex remain on the butt and parts of the central ridge. There is an all over glossy yellow-brown stain, except where post-staining breaks are present and it is slightly roll…
Created on: Monday 4th July 2016
Last updated: Tuesday 24th January 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-A3EA64
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A complete elongate possible handaxe or knife made on a fragment of mid grey nodular flint. The relatively thick but narrow butt retains cortex on one side face and there is cortex along part of one edge, part has been lost due to thermal cracking. The cortex is now pale yellow brown and the exposed flint has a faintly yellowish off white recortification with a mid gloss patina. Much of one face and the greater part of the other face has broad shallow flaking indicating probable use of a soft hammer to form a narrow, thinned, elongate blade with a rounded tip. There is fine secondary …
Created on: Monday 4th July 2016
Last updated: Tuesday 24th January 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DOR-A33686
Object type: HANDAXE
Broad period: PALAEOLITHIC
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A complete small bifacially worked handaxe made in dark grey chert with a thick pale grey recortification and low-gloss patina. Flaked all over using a soft hammer to form a fully circumferential mid-line cutting edge which is straight on one side but slightly curved on the other. The tip is slightly thinned and there is an 's' twist to the butt. The axe has pointed oval cross section and overall the axe is cordate in shape. There is no appreciable 'rolling' or post-depositional abrasion of flake scar ridges and much of the original dressed edge survives intact. There is very minor po…
Created on: Monday 4th July 2016
Last updated: Tuesday 14th March 2017
Spatial data recorded.