The Neolithic British Isles refers to the period of British, Irish and Manx history that spanned from c. 4000 to c. 2,500 BCE. The final part of the Stone Age in the British Isles, it was a part of the greater Neolithic, or “New Stone Age“, across Europe.
Humans first settled down and began farming. They continued to make tools and weapons from flint. Some tools stayed the same from earlier periods in history, such as scrapers for preparing hides.
But the Neolithic also saw the introduction of new stone tool. First there was a movement away from using microliths to make spears and arrows as composite weapons and instead the universal adoption of flint arrow heads.
Neolithic tools were often retouched all over, by pressure flaking, giving a characteristic appearance and were often laboriously polished, again giving them a distinctive look.
Pottery also developed in this period and there are examples of Neolithic Pottery recorded in this collection
Neolithic Grinding Stone 
Neolithic Grinding Stone 
Neolithic Grinding Stone 
Neolithic Grinding Stone 
Neolithic Grinding Stone
Neolithic Grinding Stone
Provenance – Found near the River Ter Valley, Chelmsford, Essex
Description – This Brown pebble shows huge amounts of wear. The base of the stone is flat but very rough. One part of the stone has broken away although this break is very faint too see.
It’s very likely this stone was used as a sharpening tool, as there are cut lines on parts of the tool.
Size – 10.2 cm x 6 cm
Weight – 375g
Age / Period – Neolithic 4000 BCE – 2500 BCE
