Stone Age Barbed and Tanged Arrowhead Collection

With rounded butt and broad edge, much cortex to the body; made by Homo heidelbergensis from a cobble to form an effective chopping edge; old inked legend 'La Vienne Indre et Loire EU3A0020'. 575 grams, 12.8 cm



From La Vienne, Indre et Loire, France. From the collection of J Sherman. Acquired on the art market. From a private collection.

Comprising two barbed-and-tanged arrowheads, two leaf-shaped arrowheads, one with a collector's note 'N.DENE WAVERLEY'; and one scraper-type implement with a slightly curving bevelled edge. 11.3 grams total, 22-36 mm



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.

Lozengiform in plan with thick butt, in dark red quartzite. 588 grams, 17.5 cm



From the Northern Sahara, North Africa. From a collection formed during the 1970s and 1980s, having been acquired on the British art market; thence by descent to the current owner in 1998.