Danish Stone Age. Symmetrical flake axe in flint. From the Late Ertebølle period: 4500-3900 B.C.

Danish Stone Age. Symmetrical flake axe in flint. Hunter Stone Age / Older Stone Age. From the Late Ertebølle period: 4500-3900 B.C.

Provenance: Originates from old Danish antiquities collection.

Find site: Zealand/Funen.

Literature: FLINT from Denmark's antiquity. By Peter Vang Petersen. Page 96-97.

Measurements approx. : 7,4x4,5x2,7 cm.

Condition: see pictures.

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