Reignac Caves French Stone Age Gravettian Burin

Tongue-shaped in plan and biconvex in section with broad base and rounded edge. 310 grams, 12.9 cm



Found 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.

Leaf-shaped in plan and biconvex in section, raised at the centre. 117 grams, 83 mm



Found Norfolk, UK. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection.

Cordate type with flake removed from centre of the underside; inked legend 'Pierrepont 14 / 22-4-93'. 69.5 grams, 61 mm



Found Pierrepont, Calvados, Normandy, France. Acquired on the UK art market in the 2020s. From a private collection.

Attributed to the Neanderthal man. An interesting example where the handaxe has also been used to strike off a flake across the middle of the reverse. This is sometimes seen during the Mousterian period and is a beneficial use of material when wanting to create a tool for the current job. The handaxe would have continued to be used and re- sharpened as normal. Dual-sided contrasting patina.