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LOT 1567
Farnham Stone Age Flint Axehead Collection
NEOLITHIC PERIOD, CIRCA 6,000 B.P.
3 - 3 3/8 in. (235 grams total, 75-86 mm).
Comprising three small axes, each with some cortex remaining, two with extensive inked and pencilled notations. [3, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound during the original official excavations in the Farnham area, Surrey, UK, which were conducted by Harold Faulker (1875-1963), and William Francis Rankine (c.1877-1962), who were instrumental with the excavation works and pit dwellings at sites including Six Bells, Frensham, Tilford, Thursley and Bagshot, and Waverley, amongst others at and near Farnham in the 1930s and 1940s.
Much of the material is now in the prestigious Farnham museum.
The present part of the collection having been gifted to their good friend and Haselmere Parish Priest, Charles Borelli (c.1914-2000) of Farnham; who was part of the Borelli family from Italy who emigrated from Lake Como in 1828 to set up the Borelli family watch and jewellery business; thence by family descent to his nephew.
Farnham district is one of the most interesting prehistoric regions in England, and has been visited by a succession of prehistoric peoples from Palaeolithic times onwards. Along the southern slope of the Farnham valley are three gravel terraces, which are famous prehistorically and have yielded large quantities of flint implements and bones of prehistoric animals, notably the mammoth. In prehistoric times, the chalk deposits played an important role in attracting settlers, as they contained rich layers of flint nodules used to make implements. The Farnham Gravels have been an abundant source of Palaeolithic finds, most prominent being hand axes. The axes differ in type, and each type is associated with a cultural phase of the Palaeolithic period. Types similar to these are found in similar deposits in the Somme valley and in many English valley gravels. Flint mining was also carried out by the Neolithic folk. Polished axes and leaf forms, arrowheads and knives, or possibly lance heads, are characteristic of the Neolithic flint work.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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British Stone Age Part Polished Knapped Axehead
Neolithic Period, circa 6000 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Tongue-shaped in plan with a broad, curved cutting edge. 92.9 grams, 10.8 cm
Found in Suffolk in the 1980s by a field walker. Acquired on the UK art market in the 2020s. From a private collection. -
African Stone Age Green Jasper Hollow Base Arrowhead
Mesolithic-Early Neolithic Period, circa 7,200-4,500 B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Lentoid in section with barbs to the rear. 0.86 grams, 23 mm
From Niger, West Africa. Acquired on the European art market. From a private S.W. London, UK, collection. -
Published East Danish 'Limited Culture 4' Ertebolle Groundstone Limhamn Axe
South Scandinavian Mesolithic Period, circa 6300-5900 B.P.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £100
Finely produced from local diabase/amphibolite and characteristic of the restricted Limhamn-Nivå tradition of North Sjælland and Scania; unusually well-polished for the type, with intact form and clear Mesolithic workmanship, possibly ceremonial. 406 grams, 11.5 cm
Found Aatoften Settlement, Nive Mill South, Nivaa, Denmark, 1970. From the private collection of amateur archaeologist Jorgen Faxholm, UK. Accompanied by copies of the relevant book pages where this axe is published.
This type represents a distinctive South Scandinavian Mesolithic tradition. Limhamn axes illustrate the indigenous technological development from the earlier Nøstvet and Lihult tools. While Limhamn axes are typically heavily scarred from knapping and crushing, this specimen appears unused and shows unusually fine grinding and surface finish, suggesting a piece of elevated status, adding limited practical use. The type is found exclusively in North Sjælland (Denmark) and Scania (Sweden), indicating a localised craft tradition with minimal external influence. A rare and representative example of Scandinavian Mesolithic stone craftsmanship, unbroken from Maglemose to Ertebølle.
