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COLORFUL NEANDERTHAL MOUSTERIAN FLAKE TOOL CORE IN GEM MULTI-COLOR JASPER FROM RARE SITE Fontmaure, West Central France MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC PERIOD (MOUSTERIAN): 80,000 - 40,000 years ago This gorgeous stone tool core was carried by Neanderthals over 40,000 years ago and consists of gem-grade gold jasper known to occur ONLY from Fontmaure located in West Central France. The site this specimen was excavated from is only approximately 1 acre in size and is now closed and protected by the government. This rare artifact was legally collected with the landowner's permission decades ago before the area was sealed. Fontmaure is one of Europe's most famous Neanderthal sites and the fact that this tiny primitive settlement is off-limits to any collecting, makes this wonderful stone tool artifact exceedingly rare and desirable! It is our personal theory that tools from Fontmaure were amongst the most cherished implements for Neanderthals in the surrounding broad region. We know from later lithic cultures that certain gem-grade stone used in making tools was highly valued and traded with great frugality. We believe that tools from this unique golden gem resource set Fontmaure apart from other sites and was highly prized and coveted by all Neanderthals that came to experience it. It is highly possible that all tools from Fontmaure might have even been considered items of prestige and wealth in a world where most stone tools were dull colors of gray and brown. This is a tool core by which a toolmaker would hammer to flake off pieces that would then be shaped and retouched into blades, scrapers, etc. It was fashioned out of the best and most colorfully-occurring gem material found at this site. From the many faces, one can see that a number of flake tools had been fashioned from this core already. Close up images show conchoidal fractures and numerous small flakes removed in an effort to maintain a desired shape of the core and therefore control the overall shape of the flakes it produces. This specimen is a rare and excellent example of the "supply" of stone that was carried, owned and used by each Neanderthal toolmaker. NO RESTORATION, REPAIR OR MODERN DAMAGE. Our fortunate purchase of a very old private collection from the original excavator allows us to offer this artifact at a price SEVERAL TIMES BELOW ITS BOOK VALUE. Out of the many archaeological sites in France containing Paleolithic objects, Fontmaure is one of the "Crown Jewels" of the period of the Neanderthals. This site is very small, spanning only approximately one acre. It gets its name from the neighboring farm where it is located, situated in the Vienne region of North Poitou. Artifacts from Fontmaure have been dated to at least 40,000 years old and are classified as from the Chatelperronian and Mousterian era, having been fashioned by the Neanderthal people. One of the unique published finds of Fontmaure is the very beautiful and unique jasper which is only found here and is primarily red and yellow. Many of the objects found in Fontmaure are made of this stone with other objects made of sandstone, flint and light gray quartz. This light gray quartz originates from a place that is situated about hundred kilometers from Fontmaure. Another unusual feature is that, to date, it is one of a few known open-air settlements. Even more interesting is the fact that along with the stone tools found, human and animal figures have also been excavated. There are also stones used in some type of ritual, such as triangular stones, round discs and stone balls (bolas) that have been discovered in Fontmaure. These art objects of the Neanderthals make up some of the oldest art known from Europe! The MOUSTERIAN tool tradition gets its name from artifacts discovered at a primitive rock shelter named Le Moustier located in southwestern France. Compared to the bulkier tools of the Acheulian produced by the Levallois technique, Mousterian tools are comprised of smaller flakes from an exhaustively worked core which are then retouched on the edges to make a large variety of tools. These tools are not only smaller than Acheulian specimens, but they are more specialized for their various tasks. Mousterian tools can be broadly put into four classes: 1) SAWS (Denticulate Tools) and KNIVES, 2) SCRAPERS 3) BORERS 4) HANDAXES, CHOPPERS and CLEAVERS. Mousterian tool-makers were the primitive humans knows as the NEANDERTHALS. Neanderthals had massive skeletons and teeth, flat foreheads and heavy brow ridges. Their skulls were larger than a modern man and contained an average brain capacity of 1500 cc, averaging slightly larger than humans of today. BEAUTIFUL CORE OF THIS PRIZED NEANDERTHAL SITE WITH TEXTBOOK EVIDENCE OF USE 3.2" across SOLD M216 Actual Item - One Only |
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