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Summary

Neolithic axe head found on Harper's in the fourth field east of Firestone Cross. The Stone Axe Company report that the axe is a greenstone of a type which cannot be localised at present. It consists of "weathered felspar, much ragged plates of hornblende and some black magnetite and brown mica".

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 444059
• National Record of the Historic Environment: SX69SE8
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SE/8

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FINDSPOT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC)

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV270651.

Fox, a. /tda/86(1954)274-5/21st report on archaeology and early history.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV270652.

Osa=sx69se8. (02/07/1955) SX 672930 A stone axe was found in 1953 on Harpers Farm, in the fourth field east of Firestone Cross, and is in the possession of Mr O Greig. It is made of greenstone and is deeply pitted and weathered except on the butt and upper side where there are traces of polishing. It has been sectioned by the Stone Axe Committee (No 863) but they cannot identify its origin.
The axe is 23.4cm long, 7.8cm wide at the base of the blade tapering to a blunt point at the butt 3.5cm thick. A possibly Neolithic stone amulet of micaceous shale with a conical perforation was found in the same field. It is pear-shaped 4.6cm long, 3.0cm wide and 0.35cm thick (citing Lady A Fox, TDA, 1954, 86, pg 274).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV270653.

Evans, e. D. , grinsell, l. V. , piggot, s. , wallis, f. S. ,/pps/28(1962)209/the petrological identification of stone axes.

Historic England, 2022, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 10/05/2022 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364675.

The axe, Implement Petrology Group No.863 is a Group XVI epidiorite or greenstone axe from near Cambourne, Cornwall (citing Stone axe studies, volume 2. The petrology of prehistoric stone implements from the British Isles, 1988, edited by T H McK Clough, W A Cummins, Vol 67, pg 148).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds

• FDV3263 - AXE HEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC)
• FDV7901 - PERFORATED OBJECT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2201 BC)

Associated Events: none recorded

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