Interiors & Decorations

Jewellery & Precious Stones

Watches, Pens & Lighters

Fashion

Coins & Stamps

Comics & Animation

Classic Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia

Wine, Whisky & Spirits

Asian & Tribal Art

Trading Cards

Toys & Models

Archaeology & Natural History

Sports

Music, Movies & Cameras

Books & Historical Memorabilia

The finest objects brought to you by {name}

Ruth Garrido Vila

Tool.

Neolithic Period, Spiennes, 4500-3500 BC.

Flint

16 cm Height.

CONDITION: It is preserved in its original state. 

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Belgium. Acquired before the 1970's.

DESCRIPTION:

The Neolithic Flint Mines of Spiennes occupy two chalk plateaux located to the south-east of the city of Mons. They cover an area essentially devoted to agriculture. The site appears on the surface as a large area of meadows and fields strewn with millions of scraps of worked flint. Underground, the site is an immense network of galleries linked to the surface by vertical shafts dug by Neolithic populations.
The Neolithic Flint Mines of Spiennes are the largest and earliest concentration of ancient mines of north-west Europe. The mines were in operation for many centuries and the remains vividly illustrate the development and adaptation of mining techniques employed by prehistoric populations in order to exploit large deposits of a material that was essential for the production of tools and cultural evolution generally. They are also remarkable by the diversity of technical mining solutions implemented and by the fact that they are directly linked to a habitat contemporary to them.
In the Neolithic period, (from the last third of the 5th millennium until the first half of the 3rd millennium), the site was the centre of intensive flint mining present underground. Different techniques were used, the most spectacular and characteristic of which was the digging out of shafts of 0.8 to 1.20m in diameter with a depth down to 16 metres. Neolithic populations could thus pass below levels made up of large blocks of flint (up to 2m in length) that they extracted using a particular technique called ‘striking’ (freeing from below with support of a central chalk wall, shoring up of the block, removal of the wall, removal of the props and lowering of the block). The density of the shafts is important, as many as 5,000 in the zone called Petit Spiennes (14 ha), leading to criss-crossing of pits and shafts in some sectors.
The neolithic flint mines near Spienne in Belgium are part of UNESCO's world heritage since the year 2000 (Id. N°: 1006). With the second half of the 5. Millenium BC stone from the Spienne mine was worked in socially increasingly complex neolithic groups in that region. No doubt a source of wealth to that cultures.
The groups of that area are refered to as Michaelsberg culture. They flourished from the mid 5th Millenium BC until the mid 4th Millenium BC in middle Europe. Their culture streched from Germany, northern France to Belgium. Around Spienne, it was finally replaced by the Seine-Oise-Marne culture, which did not use the nearby mine anymore








Notes:
The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki.
The piece includes authenticity certificate.
The piece includes Spanish Export License.

Spiennes, 4500-3500 BC - Unknown

Neolithic Flint Tool. Spiennes, 4500-3500 BC. 16 cm height. Spanish Import License.  (No Reserve Price)

Archaeology

Reserve price

No reserve price

Buy now

Closing date

Thursday

Monday

Saturday

30 December

Sunday

9 January

tomorrow

7 January

Friday

Budget

From

Location

Spain

The Netherlands

United Kingdom

Belgium

France

Germany

Poland

Italy

Denmark

Czech Republic

United States

Taiwan

Austria

Hong Kong

Japan

Dimensions

Height

Width

Depth

Object

Ancient artwork

Ancient jewellery and beads

Ring

Pendant

Ancient sculptures carvings and figurines

Ancient lanterns and oil lamps

Ancient tools

Relic

Arrow head

Bangle

Statue

Vase

Sculpture

Ancient seals and stamps

Fibula

Cross

Tool

Ancient weapons and armour

Tribal jewellery and adornments

Amulet

Hair pin

Bowl

Country of origin

Netherlands

Egypt

Europe

Unknown

Asia

Nepal

China

Myanmar/Burma

Africa

Switzerland

Hungary

Vietnam

Cambodia

Pakistan

Thailand

Laos

Material

Bronze

Terracotta

Faience

Silver

Glass

Ceramic

Flint

Stone

Pottery

Marble

Alabaster

Jasper

Gold

Iron

Stoneware

Carnelian

Bone

Wood

Steatite

Copper

Iron (cast/wrought)

Schist

Earthenware

Lead

Quartzite

Gender

Unisex

Condition

Good

Excellent

Very good

Very good condition - slightly used with small signs of wear

Very good +

Fair

Good condition - used with some signs of wear

Excellent condition: barely used with minimal signs of wear

Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes

Fair condition - used with visible signs of wear

Good condition

Good condition - used with small signs of ageing

Excellent condition

As new - unused

Fair condition

Excellent condition - barely used with minimal signs of wear

Fair condition -  heavily used & with possibly minor parts missing

Poor - heavily used with major cracks, damages or major parts missing

Ungraded

Vintage - used with signs of possible repair

Natural

Good condition, see description

Poor

Vintage - used with visible signs of wear

Excellent condition, barely used with minimal signs of wear

Period

1450-1500

Cretaceous, Lower (145 - 100.5 million years)

Yuan-Ming Dynasty

1550-1600

1650-1700

Aravidu dynasty (16th - 17th century)

Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 220 A.D.)

Liao Dynasty (916-1125)

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589)

1800-1850

1400-1450

1500-1550

1600-1650

1750-1800

2020+

1850-1900

Certification

No laboratory report

Subject

Birds

Greek mythological figures

Aphrodite

Aker

Osiris

Venus

Animals

Buddha

Deity

Dragon

Style

Ancient Roman

Ancient Egyptian

Ancient Roman, Empire

Ancient Greek

Neolithic

Medieval, Crusaders Era

Viking Era

Paleolithic

Byzantine

Medieval

Ancient Egypt, Late Period

Ancient Chinese

Ancient Chinese, Tang Dynasty

Bronze Age

Celtic

Ancient Chinese, Han dynasty

Etruscan

Antique

Archaeology

This object is no longer available, but there’s still lots to explore

Neolithic Flint Tool. Spiennes, 4500-3500 BC. 16 cm height. Spanish Import License. (No Reserve Price)

Popular in Archaeology

1679 objects

Related collections

Cookies

Archaeology

This object is no longer available, but there’s still lots to explore

Neolithic Flint Tool. Spiennes, 4500-3500 BC. 16 cm height. Spanish Import License. (No Reserve Price)

Popular in Archaeology

1679 objects

Related collections