Artefact Collection (#44)

Prehistoric shells, Aurignacian culture C013 / 7389
Prehistoric shells. These shells were used as ornaments by people from the prehistoric Aurignacian culture. These early humans lived in Europe in the Late Stone Age (Upper Paleolithic), between 45

Swanscombe hand axe C013 / 6535
Swanscombe hand axe. One of many hand axes that have been discovered at the Homo neanderthalensis site at Swanscombe, Kent, UK, which was inhabited about 500, 000 to 300, 000 years ago

Ancient golden jug C014 / 0159
Ancient golden jug. Gold jug dating from the 3rd-4th Centuries AD. Photographed at the State Historical Museum, Moscow, Russia

Limestone lamp, Magdalenian, from France
Limestone lamp of Magdalenian age, 11, 000 - 18, 000 years old (Upper Palaeolithic) from La Mouthe, France

Aurignacian tools
A bone point, probably a spearhead and a flint end-scraper tool of Aurignacian age, 30, 000 - 34, 000 years old from France

Goughs Cave artefacts
Replicas and specimens of artefacts found in Goughs Cave, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset

Limestone lamp with ibex carved on back
Limestone lamp with ibex carving, of Magdalenian age, 11, 000 - 18, 000 years old (Upper Palaeolithic) from La Mouthe, France

Venus in limestone
Figure of a woman, or Venus, engraved in limestone, Gravettian age 22, 000 - 30, 000 years old (Upper Palaeolithic) from Abri Pataud in France. Created by Cro-Magnon man

Various carved specimens
A collection of carved specimens including ivory, coral, shell, jet & tortoise shell. A collection of carved specimens including ivory, coral, shell, jet & tortoise shell

Engraved mammoth tusk
Mammoth tusk engraved of Grevettian age. 25, 000 - 30, 000 years ago during the Upper Palaeolithic and within the great Stone Age from Dolni Vestonice, Moravia, Czech Republic

Variety of Gemstones
Left to right, top: Onyx, cornelian, tigers eye, jet, turquoise, lapis lazuli, hematite, jade. Bottom: Ivory, amber, coral, cultured pearl, freshwater pearl, shell, cameo

Rusty screw

Hand-axes, blades & harpoon
The two axe-heads on the left are from the Middle Palaeolithic about 40, 000 BC; the three specimens on the right are from the Upper Palaeolithic abot 20, 000 BC (Agfa Film)

Surface of a rusty screw

Hand-axes & pebble tool
Left to right: Pebble tool from Olduvai about 1.7 million years old; hand-axe about 1 million years old; hand-axe about 350, 000 years old

Matchstick
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image showing the fractured surface of a matchstick (x 400 on a standard 9 cm wide print)

Bone needles of Magdalenian age
Bone needles dating back to about 15, 000 years ago. The Magdalenian tools discovered in France are believed to have belonged to early Homo sapiens who hunted reindeer during the last ice age

Flint artifact (Goughs Cave)
Creswellian flint artifacts excavated from Goughs Cave, Cheddar, Somerset dated at around 14, 000 to 12, 000 years old, late upper palaeolithic (Creswellian)

A Dodder-like climber and a harmless snake
Watercolour by Olivia Fanny Tonge 1858-1949. 180 x 260mm. From one of sixteen sketchbooks presented to the Museum in 1952

Idol from the Marquesas Islands
A photograph taken during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger (1872-1876) funded by the British Government for scientific purposes

Native of Manila, Luzon, Philippines
A photograph taken during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger (1872-1876) funded by the British Government for scientific purposes

Watling Collection 69-74: Portrait, tools and landscape

Velcro
A trademarked name for a fastening tape made up of a strip of nylon with a surface of minute hooks, that fasten to another strip with a surface of uncut pile. A SEM image

Eoliths from Israel. Crude stone pebbles found in Lower Pleistocene contexts; once thought to be the work of human agency, but now generally regarded as natural products

Hand-Axes

Womans head carved in mammoth ivory
Gravettian age 25, 000 - 30, 000 years old (Upper Palaeolithic) from Dolni Vestonice, Moravia, Czech Republic

Mocha stone, sardonyx and agate
Mocha stone and sardonyx cameos resting on artificially dyed slabs of agate. All these varieties of chalcedony derive from the cryptocrystalline quartz group

Diamonds fluorescing
Murchison snuff box set with diamonds fluorescing under ultra violet radiation. Gold snuff box set with diamonds ranging from 0.75 to 2.5 carats, presented to Sir R. I. Murchison by Tsar Alexander II

Flint tool from the Pakefield excavation site. Manmade stone tools have been discovered in Suffolk, in the UK, and indicate humans were living there at least 680, 000 years ago

Pakefield flint tools
Flint tools from the Pakefield excavation site. Manmade stone tools have been discovered in Suffolk, in the UK, and indicate humans were living there at least 680, 000 years ago

Hand-axe
Flint hand-axe of Acheulian culture (Lower Palaeolithic) with rounded spall pot-lid split by frost action. Specimen from University of London, Institute of Archaeology

The Clacton Spear
This spear is named after Clacton-on-sea which is where it was discovered in 1911. It dates back 450, 000 years old making it the oldest wooden spear to have been found in the British Isles

Casts of artifacts from Czech Republic
Ivory running lion, ivory ornamant and a lionesss head in fired clay; all 25, 000 - 30, 000 years old (Upper Palaeolithic) from Dolni Vestonice, Czech Republic

Dancing woman in green serpentine

Nautilus pompilus, common nautilus
A seventeenth century carved nautilus shell showing three techniques used by Dutch craftsmen: cameo work, engraving and an opening resembling a helmet cut into the wall of the chamber

Precious opal
A Cameo representing the dawn, on a limonitic matrix from Australia. Opals are not truely crystalline and are therefore mineraloids. They comprise of (hydrated silica glass)

Amber artifact from Stone Age England
A Stone Age amber artifact 23mm in length discovered at Star Carr, Yorkshire, UK. It dates back to around 8, 000 BC

Sicilian amber carving
An ancient artifact of Sicilian amber, a crudely carved talisman. Image from Amber the Natural Time Capsule Fig.24

Memoirs sur le Termes, 1786

View of Middle Pleistocene site of Bilzingsleben, Germany
Showing the accumulation of mammal bones and artifacts. Lower Palaeolithic, 400, 000 years old. Photo by Chris Stringer

Flint hand axe (label)
Photograph of a human-made hand axe, which was discovered in 1859, and is thought to be about 400, 000 years old. This close-up of the label shows the date and initials J.P, for John Prestwich

Nautilus sp. nautilus shell
A carved nautilus shell, c. 1600 from the Sir Hans Sloane collection

Upper Palaeolithic carvings 11 - 18, 000 years old
Top: Reindeer carved from the tip of a mammoth tusk from Montastruc, France. Bottom: Bone spear-thrower with reindeer carving from Laugerie Basse, France

Neanderthal artifacts
Stone tools believed to once have belonged to Neanderthal Man (Homo neanderthalensis) who lived in Gorhams Cave, Gibraltar

Gorhams Cave, Gibraltar
A view of Gorhams Cave from the sea. Neanderthal artifacts have been found, dating from the Middle Palaeolithic inside this cave system

Amber cigarette holder
Discovered in Romania. BM 1934, 934 A specimen from the collections of The Natural History Museum, London

Neanderthal Man artifact (Tabun)
A tool thought to have been used by Neanderthal Man (Homo neanderthalensis) Discovered at Tabun, Israel

Clay Toy Turtles and spiders
Watercolour by Olivia Fanny Tonge (1858-1949). Captioned: Clay Toy Turtles with Heads and Legs that waggle costing one anna. Cawnpore

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"Unveiling the Rich Tapestry of Human History: Exploring Artefacts from Around the World" Step into a world of wonder as we delve into the captivating realm of artefacts. Each piece holds within it a story, a glimpse into our past, and an ode to human ingenuity. From maps that shaped historic battles to scientific breakthroughs that revolutionized our understanding of life, these they are windows to different eras and cultures. The Battle of Waterloo map (J020089) transports us back to one of history's most significant conflicts, while The Rosetta Stone at the British Museum (London, England) stands as an iconic symbol bridging ancient civilizations. Meanwhile, Darwin's annotated world map (J970111) showcases his groundbreaking observations on evolution. Amongst these treasures lies a Bronze Age arrowhead (J930088), reminding us of humanity's early mastery in warfare. The Lindisfarne Priory Stone (J880193) whispers tales from medieval times when spirituality flourished amidst turbulent ages. Scientific marvels also find their place among these cherished relics. Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" book (K970323) forever altered our perception of life itself. The Penny Black postage stamp (1840), engraved by Frederick Heath and printed by Perkins Bacon & Co. , marked a revolutionary moment in communication history with its adhesive design. An invitation card bearing K970521 takes us back to grand social gatherings where elegance mingled with celebration. A beetle display case (J970134) showcases nature's intricate beauty through meticulous preservation techniques. Delving deeper into Darwin's legacy, we encounter his notebook N020023 - pages brimming with intellectual curiosity and profound insights that reshaped biology forever. His microscope J970114 reveals hidden worlds teeming with microscopic wonders while his compass J970126 guided him on daring expeditions across uncharted territories. These artefacts stand not only as testaments to human achievement but also as reminders of our collective heritage.