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2018-08-01 15:23:25   •   ID: 1087

Handaxe from Cosne-sur-Loire

Figure 1
7300 archeological sites are known from the Nièvre area. 

About 15% of these sites are prehistoric, ranging from isolated artifacts or small surface scatters to larger artifact concentrations.

Stone Age artifacts were collected beginning with the 19th century (J. de Saint-Venant, H. Jacquinot and A. Desforges).

Despite the rise of a professionalized archeology during the last 50 years in France, systematic prospection by enthusiastic collectors remains an important element in the creation of local archaeological inventories.

In 1999, during a nice local exposition (“Enquête de Pierres”) at Cosne-sur-Loire, good examples from the lower and middle Paleolithic were shown at the town hall, mainly from the Collection of G Cuniere.

Figure 2
Some large lanceolated bifaces can be unambiguously assigned to the lower Paleolithic (Acheulian), the ascription of smaller and more cordiform handaxes to the middle Paleolithic is problematic.

Such items can be much older than the “MTA” as stated earlier in this blog- see here: 1350 .

This fine handaxe is from the la Beaubutaine site at Cosne-sur-Loire, and can be certainly ascribed to the lower Paleolithic. It is made from local chert and has a characteristic thick white-yellow patina.

Interestingly the knapper followed a "trifacial concept" (Figure 2)- very rare in most parts of Europe -see here: 2064 .



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