Neolithic stone pestle 270mm, an appealing prehistorically designed and manufactured domestic artefact, with an excellent patina. Displaying tones of stone green and cedar browns, these highlighted with use the artefact has endured. This use has gifted us with the footprint patination of the ancient world. The patina on prehistoric objects is crucial evidence of the time in use, further wear, by erosion, or sometimes as what is referred to with artefacts from this region of the world, the desert varnish is important pointers, particularly with prehistoric Saharan artefacts, in identification. This artefact has those crucial trademarks. The patina mirrors historical weathering, whether by use of natural climate changes over the ages which have passed dating back to 8,500 BC.

The stone-age artefacts are found in the northern countries of Africa, many in open sites, these open sites are area’s of scattered tools or implements lying on the surface of the desert, eroded out by the brutal Saharan winds or flash flooding, a circumstance of some decades, annual rain can fill the dry river beds for a brief few hours, the next day the ground surface as dry as ever. Many prehistoric finds are collected one by one by the indigenous Berber travellers, herders roaming their flocks over sporadic outcrops of scrub vegetation which can quickly appear following rainfall, rainfall which can be as inconsistent as every seven years in these regions. These found artefacts find a way to the European market, being traded hand to hand through Berber merchants and dealers to the souks of Marrakech. This route, unfortunately, leaves gaps in the collecting history, we often only gain a vague location, which country and perhaps a region of the desert, invariably no more location information. We can identify the implement and through experience and expertise in this region recognise the patina of the desert, the footprint of prehistory on these wonderful stone-age artefacts.

The Neolithic Stone Age is defined by Neanderthals introducing agriculture into a way of life, as the nomadic hunter-gatherer era declined. This occurred around 4000 BC the ideas and advancement of farming, possibly the first husbandry of livestock crossed into Europe and arrived in England.

This period waned with the introduction of metal tools becoming widespread (in the Copper Age and Bronze Age, in some geographical regions, in the Iron Age). The Neolithic age was the progression of behavioural and cultural characteristics, including the use of wild and domestic crops and animals.

Type: Neolithic stone pestle.
Age: Neolithic, Capsian Tradition, approximately 8,500 to 6,500 BC.
Origin: Unclassified Location, Northern Sahara Desert, Morocco, North Africa.

Pestle measurements.
Length: 27 cm
Width: 6.5 cm

Weight: 1.597 g