|
|
|
RARE GEM MATERIAL NEANDERTHAL MOUSTERIAN JASPER SIDE SCRAPER WITH REDUCED END FOR HAFTING FROM FAMOUS SITE Fontmaure, West Central France MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC PERIOD (MOUSTERIAN): 80,000 - 40,000 years ago This rare stone tool was fashioned by Neanderthals over 40,000 years ago out of gem-grade 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! We personally theorize that the Neanderthals highly valued the spectacular glowing, colored gem jasper that is uniquely found at Fontmaure. It is possible that material like this was traded, considered prestigious to own and even fought over. Because of this, it is easy to suppose that the jasper was rationed and smaller tools were fashioned to get as much possible out of each tool core. Large tools are rare from this site and could have easily been considered a possession of great prestige as well as a functional tool. This STUNNINGLY beautiful RARE Paleolithic artifact from the Neanderthals of France shows beauty seldom seen from this very exclusive prehistoric site. This is a yellow jasper side scraper with a rare reduced proximal end meant to be hafted on a handle of bone or ivory. Such a feature is uncommon in this period and demonstrates the emergence of higher thought where flake tools were moving from a handheld technique to one where they were hafted onto a handle of some sort for greater comfort in use. The surreal color and patterns in this flake are one-in-a-million and it is likely its original Neanderthal maker and former owner admired and cherished it as much as we can today. We take vibrant colors for granted in our lives today because synthetic items of manufactured colors are all around us dulling our senses but living in a natural, prehistoric world where much of the universe around Man was made up of "earth tones" colors like this tool would have stood out immensely in one's mind and life. An original sharpened and flaked cutting edge is still intact and this specimen is 100% complete AND "AS MADE", not a broken partial specimen as many prehistoric tools are when they are offered for sale. It is quite possible this was a small prestige piece. The stone is unbelievable and just as beautiful as the above photos show. The bands of colors are IN THE STONE not on the surface from patina. Unlike inferior surface-collected specimens that occasionally are offered from this site, this tool was dug from the actual subterranean level that was once a Neanderthal occupation layer. What this means is that it was not weathered and damaged by exposure to the elements or plow. A beautiful, as well as very rare Neanderthal artifact. Lithic, workmanship and form are superb. NO RESTORATION, REPAIR OR MODERN DAMAGE. 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. AMAZING COLOR GEM MATERIAL! - STUNNING NEANDERTHAL MOUSTERIAN SIDE SCRAPER WITH PREHISTORIC AESTHETICS SITE NOW CLOSED AND PROTECTED! 2" in length SOLD M231 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only |
|
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE NEANDERTHAL MOUSTERIAN TOOLS FOR SALE |
|
595 |
