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 Thumb Scraper, Made with Red Serpentine 
Neolithic Thumb Scraper, Made with Red Serpentine 
Neolithic Thumb Scraper, Made with Red Serpentine 
Neolithic Thumb Scraper, Made with Red Serpentine
Neolithic Thumb Scraper Made with Red Serpentine
Provenance – Found near the River Ter Valley, Chelmsford, Essex
Description – This extremely interesting Stone Age Tool has been made with Red Serpentine, A local stone although not as common as quartz.
There is an impression in the implement for your thumb and a sharp end to the tool. This particular Neolithic Scraper is one of my favourites, it clearly has had a lot of use too, perhaps it was favourite of someone else’s.
Size – 2.8 cm x 4 cm
Weight – 8g
Age / Period – Neolithic 4000 BCE – 2500 BCE
