Danish Stone Age. Asymmetrical flake axe i flint. Late Ertebølle period: 4500-3900 B.C.

Danish Stone Age. Asymmetrical flake axe i flint. Middle Stone Age / Old Stone Age. Late Ertebølle period: 4500-3900 B.C.

Provenance: Originates from old Danish antiquities collection.

Find site: Zealand/Fyn.

Literature: FLINT fra Danmarks oldtid. By Peter Vang Petersen. Page 96-97.

Measurements approx. : 7,5x6x2 cm.

Condition: see pictures.

The Ertebølle period lasted approximately 5400-3900 b.c. and was a hunter-gatherer culture, where people lived off hunting, fishing, and gathering. The flake axes are some of the period's characteristic tools. They were produced from flint by striking a thin flake from a flint nodule and flaking it, so the edge became sharp. Flake axes were especially used to work wood, among other things to produce boats, houses, and other tools. They were practical, because they were relatively easy to produce and could be sharpened or replaced.