<![CDATA[Archaeologists from the Museum Lolland-Falster in Denmark have discovered a stone axe with a wooden handle still attached to it. The find is hugely significant as the axe is 5,500 years old, meaning it originates from a time when man was still using primitive stone tools. Needless to say, the complicated craftsmanship on it has shocked the archaeologists. The Neolithic axe was found in what the archaeologists have called a ritual hot bed, because the axe and several other tools had been placed vertically into the earth. The team assume this reflects some kind of ritual or ceremonial practice. This is also why the wooden part of the axe was so well preserved, as the non-porous clay soil ensured that no oxygen could reach it. The discovery was made in Rodbyhavn, on the island of Lolland. It was found as a result of excavations taking place to build the Femern Belt Fixed Link, an 18 km underground tunnel connecting the island to Germany. The coast of south Lolland is believed to have been an offering area where ritual and burial customs were carried out. The marshes and wetlands nearby contain forms of large stone graves. The axe wasnt the only thing found during the excavations - a set of 5,000 year old footprints are thought to have been left by fishermen who waded out on the silted seabed to repair nearby river barriers. It is believed that the river near to where the footprints were found fed a nearby Stone Age settlement. Excavations are still ongoing, and the archaeologists are hoping to find more clues which could help explain the lives of the ancient Scandinavians. Image courtesy of: Magnus Manske]]>
Neolithic Axe Found on Danish Island
