How two little ducks could transform our understanding of Stonehenge

Daily Mail ^ | Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 | Gavin Allen

[SunkenCiv]

The most significant artifacts uncovered are two carved ducks, the first of their kind to be found in Britain and the oldest figurines ever hewn from the UK.

The ducks were likely, say the team, to be a result of the Bronze Age tradition of carving animal figurines which were then thrown into water as offerings.

But while the ducks date back to 700BC, a ceremonial dagger was also found which originated around 1400BC.

However, another item which Jacques initially believed was a cow's tooth was revealed by radiocarbon dating to date back to around 6250BC, some 3,000 years before work began on Stonehenge.

It was part of a tranche of more than 200 animal bones that were buried alongside evidence of a large fire, suggesting a Mesolithic feast for up to 100 people.

The bones transpired not to be from cows but instead from aurochs, a now extinct animal about the size of a buffalo...

The Mesolithic era is essentially the mid-period of the stone age. It is sandwiched between the other two 'lithics' -- Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) and the Neolithic (New Stone Age).

In Europe, the Mesolithic period covered the period from around 9660BC to 5000BC. However, given that civilisation developed at different paces on different continents, it took place in Japan between 14,000BC-400BC and in Western Asia between 20,000BC and 9500BC.

It is also sometimes referred to as the Epipaleolithic era.

Further excavations revealed a hoarde of more than 5,500 worked flints and tools.

Given that only a few Mesolithic items had ever previously been found around Stonehenge, the discovery is strong evidence of the continuity of human life at the site.

[SunkenCiv]

These could have been offerings (and durable offerings mimicking live animals appear in historic and prehistoric contexts elsewhere as well), and they could have been favorite toys of the deceased. Such items were probably commonplace since the first time some mom or dad figured out how to make things, and those not made of durable material (such as stone, bone, or teeth) haven’t survived in the ground. :’)