Covehithe Suffolk (lower to middle stone age - settlements in East Anglia)

 

Flint Hand Axe
- found by Mr M. Robinson in 2025 0n Covehithe Beach 

Extract from the British Regional Geology publication
London and Thames Valley, Third Edition.

The Suffolk Coast is both beautiful and geologically interesting. As little ago as the Bronze Age, East Anglia was joined to Europe by 'Doggerland', a low lying land of rivers, lakes, forests and marsh. Stone age hominids roamed freely across an ancient Europe and United Kingdom, following the wildlife on which they preyed. There were clearly no pleistocene equivalents for 'vegetarians' or 'Nigel Farage'!

The manufacture of flint hand axes in the Lower to Middle Stone Age in Doggerland—a now-submerged landmass that once connected Britain to continental Europe—was part of a broader tradition of early human tool-making in the Paleolithic period. These tools were likely produced by Homo heidelbergensis, Neanderthals, and possibly early Homo sapiens, and they reflect a sophisticated understanding of materials, technique, and utility.

Doggerland existed roughly between 1 million and 8,000 years ago, gradually submerged due to post-glacial sea level rise after the last Ice Age. During the Lower (c. 3.3 million – 300,000 years ago) and Middle Paleolithic (c. 300,000 – 40,000 years ago) periods, it was a habitable environment with rivers, forests, and rich ecosystems—ideal for early human habitation and tool-making.

Materials and Toolstone:

The primary raw material was flint, abundant in chalk-rich regions of Doggerland and surrounding areas.

Flint was valued for its conchoidal fracture, allowing it to be chipped predictably and sharply.

Manufacture Process of Flint Hand Axes

1. Selecting the Nodule:

Toolmakers selected flint nodules of suitable size, shape, and quality.

The ideal nodules were free from flaws and had consistent internal structure.

2. Initial Shaping (Hard Hammer Percussion):

Using a hammerstone (often quartzite or another hard rock), the knapper struck the flint to remove large flakes.

This formed a rough, bifacial (two-sided) shape.

3. Refining the Form (Soft Hammer Percussion):

A softer hammer made of antler, bone, or wood was used for more controlled flake removal.

The hand axe was refined into a tear-drop, oval, or pointed shape, depending on its intended function.

4. Final Retouch and Sharpening:

Edges were finely retouched to produce sharp, durable cutting edges.

This could involve pressure flaking—pressing small flakes off the edge using a pointed tool.

Forms and Functionality

Hand axes varied in size and shape but were typically symmetrical and ergonomic.

They served as multi-purpose tools: cutting meat, scraping hides, breaking bones, woodworking, and digging.

Technological Cultures in Doggerland

Doggerland’s hand axe technology corresponds to:

• Acheulean tradition (Lower Paleolithic): Characterized by large, symmetrical hand axes; widespread across Eurasia and Africa.
• Mousterian tradition (Middle Paleolithic): More refined tools, often associated with Neanderthals; included Levallois technique, a more sophisticated method of preparing cores for predictable flake removal.

Archaeological Evidence

Submerged finds from the North Sea (e.g. trawled hand axes, animal bones) confirm Paleolithic activity in Doggerland.

Flint artifacts often show signs of expert craftsmanship, indicating skill transmission and cultural continuity.

Associated faunal remains (mammoth, bison) and pollen studies indicate a varied, resource-rich environment.

Fossilised antler found on Pakefield Beach, Suffolk.

Summary

The manufacture of flint hand axes in Doggerland reflects a complex tradition of prehistoric craftsmanship. These tools were created using deliberate, staged techniques, evolving over time as part of broader technological cultures like the Acheulean and Mousterian. The tools reveal much about the lives, movements, and adaptive strategies of early humans in a dynamic, now-vanished landscape.