This little handaxe is Middle Paleolithic, made by the Neanderthals in a technocomplex called MTA (translated from the French as: Mousterian of Acheulean Tradition). I have no idea why the French mixed up the words and the acronym.
The hand axe was found in a mixture of 'flints with clay', which was rich in iron and manganese oxide. The clays are wind-blown particles from periods of glaciation; called Loess. These iron rich clays usually imparts a brilliant white patina, but in some circumstances this creates a slight brown-yellow tint......but a red is highly unusual. The colour of this little handaxe is exceptional; if not unique in my long experience.
It was made by a Nanderthal, from Southern Britain around 100,000-60,000 years ago
The hand axe was found in a mixture of 'flints with clay', which was rich in iron and manganese oxide. The clays are wind-blown particles from periods of glaciation; called Loess. These iron rich clays usually imparts a brilliant white patina, but in some circumstances this creates a slight brown-yellow tint......but a red is highly unusual. The colour of this little handaxe is exceptional; if not unique in my long experience.
It was made by a Nanderthal, from Southern Britain around 100,000-60,000 years ago
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