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Chronology:

Broad period: Early Neolithic – Doggerland:

Date from: 7000 – 3500 BC:

Dimensions and weight:

Length: 103 mm:

Width: 67 mm:

Thickness: 55 mm

Weight: 606 grams:

Description:

A Neolithic dolomite hammer-stone used to produce flakes and hand axes as well as more specialist tools from materials such as flint and chert: They were applied to the edges of such stones so that the impact forces caused brittle fractures, and loss of flakes for example: Stones of this type feature in the examples recovered in the Lake District of early Neolithic date, and known as the ‘Langdale axe Industry’:

The palm stone shows large areas of outer cortex removal to the primary striking end and this can be appreciated with a lighter inner stone material colour:

Provenance: Original Finder

I recovered the hammer-stone upon the Fen edge in Northern Cambridgeshire in Feb. 2024:

Reference material and further reading:

Where possible ancient artifacts may be referenced to similar material observed in the following publications within my collection:

British Artefacts Vol.1, 2 and 3: Brett Hammond [Greenlight Publishing 2010]:
Celtic & Roman Artefacts: Nigel Mills [Greenlight Publishing 2007]:

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome: Mary Beard [Profile Books 2015]:

50 Bronze Age Artefacts: Portable Antiquities Scheme: Dot Boughton [Amberley Publishing 2021]:

Pottery in Britain 4000BC to AD 1900: Lloyd Laing [Greenlight Publishing 2003]:

British Iron Age Coins In The British Museum: Richard Hobbs [British Museum 1996]:

Swords of The Viking Age: Ian Peirce: [The Boydell Press 2003]:

Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society Volume 85: [Cambridge University Press
2019]

Mesolithic Europe: Geoff Bailey / Penny Spikins [Cambridge University Press 2008]

Viking Art: James Graham-Campbell: [Thames & Hudson, London 2018]

Roman Coins Vol. 1, 2 & 3: David R Sear: [Spink London 2000]:

The Roman Cavalry: Karen R. Dixon: [B. . Batsford 1997]:

Rome’s Saxon Shore: Coastal Defenses of Roman Britain AD 250 – 500: Nic Fields [Osprey Publishing 2006]:

Amulets of Ancient Egypt: Carol Andrews: [University of Texas Press / British Museum Press 1994]:

The Uniforms of the Roman World: Military dress, weapons, artillery, ships, siege engines and fortifications: Kevin F. Killey: [Anness Publishing 2017]:

Where possible finger rings may be referenced to similar material observed in the following publications within my collection:

Victorian and Albert Museum CATALOGUE OF FINGER RINGS 1930: C.C.Oman [Anglia Publishing. 1991 – Now out of print]:

Finger Rings: Diana Scarisbrick / Martin Henig: [Ashmolean Museum Oxford. 2003]:

Ancient Rings An Illustrated Collectors Guide: T. N. Polio: [McFarland & Co Inc. 2018:

1000 Rings: Inspiring Adornments of the Hand: Le Van, Marthe; Ebendorf, Robert [W: Lark Books 2004]: