Según ha informado el Gobierno de Gibraltar en un comunicado, se trata de la primera herramienta de estas características localizada en una cueva del Peñón.
El hallazgo, que se produjo el pasado sábado, se corresponde con un hacha de once centímetros que podría haber sido construida con un mango de madera.
En un análisis preliminar de los arqueólogos se apunta a la posibilidad de que pudiera haber sido usada como pieza ceremonial, ya que se cubrió de ocre rojo.
El hacha de piedra está hecha sobre la base de una roca verdosa que no se encuentra en Gibraltar, por lo que una de las posibilidades que apunta el estudio es que se trate de un tipo de material que se encuentra sólo en el norte de África. abcdesevilla.es
Neolithic Hand Axe Found In Gorham’s Cave
A 7.5 thousand year-old polished hand axe, from the Neolithic, was excavated by archaeologists working in Gorham’s Cave this Saturday. This is the first such hand axe recovered in context from a Gibraltar cave and is further testament of the presence of people on the Rock at the critical time when agriculture and farming were arriving in the west from the Middle East.
The 11cm axe would have been hafted onto
a wooden handle and a preliminary analysis of the find suggests that it
may have been a ceremonial piece as it was beautifully shaped and
covered in red ochre. The part of the axe that would have been attached
to the handle lacks the ochre, amazingly leaving an imprint of how it
had been attached. The stone axe is made from a greenish rock which is
not found in Gibraltar and one possibility being studied is that it is
from a type found only in North Africa. If this is confirmed, it will
provide clear evidence of maritime contact across the Strait of
Gibraltar at the time.
The work at the caves was observed at close hand by Deputy Chief
Minister, the Hon Dr Joseph Garcia, last Friday. Dr Garcia was shown
round the caves by Professor Clive Finlayson and Dr Geraldine Finlayson
of the Gibraltar Museum and he met the team of archaeologists currently
digging there. He was given a detailed brief of the excavation process
and results by Dr Richard Jennings of the University of Oxford. Dr
Garcia took the opportunity to familiarise himself with planned works at
the site, which are part of the preparations for the bid for World
Heritage Status in 2015. yourgibraltartv.com
Actualización. Neolithic hand-axe from Gorham's Cave
Actualización. Neolithic hand-axe from Gorham's Cave
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| 1/3. This hand-axe was excavated from the Neolithic (Level II) at Gorham's Cave last Saturday. It was stained with ochre, with the part that would have been hafted showing by the absence of ochre |
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Actualización. Neolithic hand-axe from Gorham's Cave
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