Palaeolithic Stone Tools
The Palaeolithic is often divided into lower, middle and upper. British Isles: Humans probably first arrived in Britain around 800,000 BC. These early inhabitants had to cope with extreme environmental changes and they left Britain at least seven times when conditions became too bad.
The period lasted between 800,000 and 12,000 years ago which saw the end of the last Ice Age.
Very few sites of habitation are known.
The earliest is at Happisburgh (Pronounced Hazeboro) on the Norfolk coast and another is near the village of Boxgrove, just outside Chichester in West Sussex, which is 550,000 years old.
Many of the Palaeolithic tools found in England have been found in river terrace gravels where they were deposited by the waters from rivers and melting glaciers.
Palaeolithic Hammer Stone / Grinding Stone (British Find)
Description – This heavy item has at least five flat surfaces, and two very prominent ones.
It looks as though it was either used as a Hammer Stone whilst creating tools with flint nodules or possibly even a grinding stone. Prehistoric stones have been found many times in England and Scotland and some believe they were used to remove the last pieces of meat from a bone.
The item shows lots of sign of use and wear.
Size – It measures 8cm at its widest.
Weight – 279g
Provenance – Found in Essex, England in 2021
100,000 + BCE