Neanderthal Flint Hand Axe
Donated to Museum by Discoverer Boy
A boy living in the UK discovered that a shiny stone he picked up on the beach was actually a Neanderthal flint hand axe from 60,000 years ago.
A Neanderthal flint hand axe found by Ben three years ago on Shoreham Beach, West Sussex, England. On the right is a 20 pence coin. Screenshot from the BBC website.
Recently, the BBC reported that Ben, a 9-year-old boy living in Shoreham, West Sussex in southern England, found a flat, teardrop-shaped stone while playing on the beach three years ago. The stone was about the size of Ben’s palm, with one pointed end and a mysterious color that shimmered.
Ben thought the shiny stone was distinctly different from other pebbles on the beach and pretty, so he brought it home and kept it in his room. Three years after bringing the stone home, Ben was surprised while viewing Stone Age artifacts at the Worthing Museum. The stone he had found looked very similar to an exhibit in the museum.
Ben immediately informed the museum about the stone he had found. After investigation, the museum confirmed that the stone was a flint hand axe made by Neanderthals during the Late Paleolithic period, approximately 40,000 to 60,000 years ago. The museum described it as "an amazing discovery" and "one of the finest artifacts found in the last decade." However, they added that it is difficult to determine whether the flint hand axe was originally used on the beach or if it had been carried downstream by a river.
Ben donated the hand axe artifact to the Worthing Museum. Ben explained maturely, "I wanted to keep the hand axe, but I thought it would be better off in the museum." Ben’s mother, Emma, added, "When I saw the archaeologist’s bright expression upon seeing the hand axe, I thought others should share in this joy."
Neanderthals are another species of humans known to have gone extinct about 40,000 years ago. A significant portion of modern humans carry some Neanderthal genes, and one study found that up to about 4% of the modern human genome originated from Neanderthals. Another study suggested that while Homo sapiens and Neanderthals experienced similar stress during infancy, Homo sapiens managed infant stress more effectively through better childcare methods, which may have given them an advantage in survival competition. It is explained that Homo sapiens were able to provide more active care by distributing food and resources more efficiently through interactions between different groups.
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