Flint Hand Axe

The initial attraction of this surface found large flint was its deep red colouring. It was identified as a hand axe when later seen to have been worked and then when it was realised that it could be comfortably hand held. The worked surfaces could then be understood. It can be held in either left or right hand but more suitably in the latter.

Fig. 2.

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Not being an archaeological find at the time the precise location was not recorded, but somewhere on Ranmore Common, Surrey, above Abinger Roughs and further up the slope. The geology is chalk with flints with some boulder clay with flints.

The proximal base (Fig. 2) is somewhat triangular giving the axe three main side facets: a worked facet (Figs. 3 & 4), a red mostly unworked one (Figs. 1 & 5), and the rough surface of the original rock (Fig. 6).

The base has been worked to be flat enough not to have discomforting projections when held in the palm of a hand. The more pointed end faces the holder and this point is angled upwards also to facilitate comfortable holding.

 

Fig. 1.

Fig. 3.

The worked facet (Fig. 3) is necessary to enable the axe to be tightly held (Fig. 4). Without this shaping, particularly the large flake scar on the right, the axe slides out of the hand when the axe is raised for subsequent strikes.

When held in my hand which is smaller than the one in the images, the end of my little finger naturally and neatly occupies the scar shown lower right in Fig. 5.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 5.

The distal end has been lost through fracture.

Fig. 5 shows the fracture at the top having a smooth curved surface in part that is not characteristic of being worked.

Fig. 6. shows the fracture from the other side and what remains of the working scars on the lost part of the axe.

Fig. 6.