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A fascinating discovery occurred when a boy found a stone on the beach that was identified by archaeologists as a prehistoric tool dating back around 60 years.
In a movie-like event, young Ben, just 9 years old, made a discovery of a “stone” that surprised archaeologists and historians. While playing on a beach in England, the boy found a shiny object that, at the time, seemed just an unusual rock.
However, three years later, he discovered that it was a Neanderthal hand axe, approximately 60 years old.
How was the stone discovered?
It all started when Ben was just 6 years old. While walking along the beach, the young boy spotted a shiny flint stone that caught his eye. “I thought it was different from the other stones.”, Ben told with the BBC.
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Fascinated by the find, he took the stone home and kept it in his room, without realizing the historical value of the item.
The revelation came three years later, during a visit to Worthing Museum. Ben was attending an exhibition about the Stone Age and noticed the similarity between the items on display and his “special stone“. Intrigued, he took the object to the museum researchers, who confirmed the importance of the find.
Emotion and pride
"It was exciting! They said it was the best discovery in 10 years.“, Ben reported. He also revealed that although he wanted to keep the axe, he felt that his true home would be the museum, where more people could appreciate it.
"My heart beat really fast when I found out what it was. Now it's in the museum and I'm happy about it.“He said.
The boy's mother, Emma Witten, highlighted the impact of the discovery. “This made the museum archaeologist's face light up. It's amazing that my son found something so important and that now other people can learn from it."
The importance of the axe
According to experts at Worthing Museum, the axe belongs to the end of the Middle Paleolithic, a period that occurred between 40 thousand and 60 thousand years ago.
A museum spokesperson explained that the object was found in the upper gravel of the beach, making it difficult to determine whether it was lost there originally or transported from elsewhere by natural processes such as river deposits.
The axe, made of flint, was used by Neanderthals, the “distant cousins” of modern humans.
Who were the Neanderthals?
Neanderthals were a species of human that inhabited Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia between 400.000 and 40.000 years ago. Endowed with physical characteristics adapted to the cold climate of the time, such as robust bodies, broad noses and short limbs, Neanderthals also had a greater cranial capacity than modern humans, indicating developed brains.
They lived in small family groups and were excellent hunter-gatherers, using advanced tools and weapons to obtain food.
Furthermore, archaeological evidence reveals complex social behaviors, such as care for the most vulnerable members and funerary practices that suggest beliefs or respect for the dead.
Despite their intelligence and skill, Neanderthals disappeared about 40.000 years ago, partly due to competition with Homo sapiens who arrived in Europe during this period.
Genetic studies confirm that there was interbreeding between the two species, which resulted in Neanderthal traits present in the DNA of modern humans.
The extinction of Neanderthals was also influenced by severe climate change and the consequent reduction of their habitats. However, the legacy of Neanderthals lives on not only in our genetics, but also in their contribution to the understanding of human evolution and the cultural and social capacities of our ancestors.
They could offer the young man a full scholarship. Future archaeologist
I don't think they offer anything. I have two arrowheads from that era, more or less, but I won't give them away because I won't get anything in return.
If it is discovered, it may be CONFISCATED, and you may be left without it and remain anonymous.
I think you should be careful with what you post because in Brazil I think that's even a crime.
You will earn your name in history.
In addition to this discovery, many people will be able to appreciate it. In 10, 20,… 100… 200 years your story will be there. Along with historical material.
Think about it?
Only thinks about his own belly button
He's right, that **** Lula only thinks about his own belly button
Hahahaha even here an addict can get this meme in….
“and Lula, huh? And Petê??” Hahahaha
They have no arguments, so this absurd and disconnected repetition of reality!! It's tiring!!
And the Rolex, huh? And the jewelry?
Calm down **** ****. This is a different matter.
His navel represents millions of Brazilians that Bolsonaro took back to the poverty line and now President Lula works to give them dignity.
Reduce poverty?
Lula, in his thirst for power, drastically increased the country's tax burden. The people are the ones who pay taxes. Businessmen only pass them on.
In addition, it canceled thousands of Bolsa Família benefits.
He promised and did not deliver on income tax exemption for those who earn up to R$5.000,00.
Not to mention that he lives in a bubble of luxury and opulence.
Wake up friend!!!!!
My dear, if Bolsa***** were still president, there wouldn't even be Bolsa Família yet. And then I say more about the income tax exemption for those who earn up to R$5.000,00, which will only come into effect from January 1, 2026!!!!!!!!!, you could at least go to work instead of talking a bunch of nonsense here!
Crazy, Haddad just reduced taxes, are you going to read a paper newspaper?
Can you believe it? Enjoy it here at home, because Santa Claus is coming on the 25th lol
Edmilson Alves, if the IR exemption for those who earn up to R$5.000,00 was not approved, it is because the entire right voted against it or did not vote.
They did the same thing in the vote to tax the wealthy.
I think you need to review the sources of information you are following.
Lula working? LOL
My God! How ignorant 🤦🏻♀️
My father, when Lula dies, I don't know who you'll blame for the world's problems on 🌎
in PT
You must be the one who sells public Rolex
Impossible, citizen. Records show that the bow and arrow were invented 20 thousand years before Christ. The stone in question is 60 thousand years old, therefore, it is three times as old as the bow and arrow. These arrowheads that you have must have been taken from the buses that come from São Gonçalo to Niterói/RJ.
Indian son must be you, right? Speaking of places ****
That was good lol
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
They say it's an archaeological discovery and then they do everything to get the item and in the end you have to hand it over. I would do the same if I found something, I wouldn't hand it over because you were the one who found it, so it belongs to you regardless of anything.
In the culture of developed countries, people think like this: if no one has done it yet, I will be the first to do it and my name will be recorded in history!
In less developed countries like ours, people think: if no one has done it yet, I'm not going to do it.
A historical object belongs to the world, to society, that is, to everyone, that's why there are museums, archaeology, etc.!!! It's pure selfishness to think like that!!
Don't say "what you have". It can cause you trouble.
Of course. That's what I do and teach my children. If the government takes possession of everything you own and you don't even get rewarded, it's better to keep quiet. And don't talk about it, not even near your cell phone, unless your location is turned off. Because with these AIs, a lot of things become possible without you knowing.
Really true
A beautiful lesson in selfishness you are teaching your children!!! 🤨
You gain nothing by handing it over and humanity could lose important information.
Your thinking is restricted…
Shove them up your ****!
This is the difference between a person who thinks big, about how he can contribute to science and the history of humanity, and a person who only thinks about how to take advantage of the discovery.
Therefore, some countries younger than Brazil are more prosperous and developed.
It may even be. But, the government there is certainly not the same as here. It does not contribute anything, not even history, because a country where archaeologists go abroad to have their work recognized. Here we do not even see news of professionals working in Brazil, on the contrary, people come from abroad to dig into our history and we do not know anything. They hide it. Because our country is very rich in history, but the people are ****. They have the government they deserve.
Keep it to take in your coffin when you die, you ****...
Archaeological materials are federal property, so you could be arrested or pay a very high fine. You can contribute a lot by handing over the material you found, contributing to the history of humanity, which is also yours and ours.
Here? The history of Brazil is a country of clever, selfish politicians who hate the people. In short, the people are also meek little sheep.
I wouldn't give anything away either.
“From that era?” There is, to date, no known evidence of the Paleolithic in Brazil.
This is Brazil's cultural heritage. The right thing to do is to donate it for study. If it really is Paleolithic, it will revolutionize Archaeology.
For finding lithic material? That doesn't make any sense. You don't even know if the boy wants to be an archaeologist. And just the fact that he found it should be something incredible.
I also have a stone like that
😲
It's difficult to even give an opinion, some people look at the pyramids and see a pile of stones, others look at them and consider them to be constructions of an advanced alien civilization, anyway...
This is complicated!!! A friend found a rock in a waterfall, and it was kind of misshapen and very different from the others. All the rocks were kind of oval, rounded and opaque. This one had no color and looked like a piece of glass the size of a tennis ball (but not rounded) and kind of dirty. He found it on the edge of a large rock next to the waterfall. He took it home and kept it. Years later, when he was cleaning the garage, he remembered the rock and cleaned it... now it looked like a different crystal or glass.
He decided to show it to a friend who told him to take it to a researcher (University – I won't say the name). When he got there, he handed the stone to an employee, who registered him and asked him a few questions, and said that the stone would be analyzed.
Summary: months later the employee had resigned and moved to Italy!!! To this day my friend has not heard anything about the stone or what it was!
POSSIBLY A MILLION-WORTHY DIAMOND!!!
Be careful when handing something over to someone!!! Make sure you accompany the process with witnesses, because you may be in possession of something very valuable!!!
I have a snake here at home from the Indians, in fact I have several, our land has an archaeological site
lol
I was enough to go live in Italy, the man won the lottery. Did the owner remember to say goodbye to his stone? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dude, it's not quite like that. He found it near a riverbed. Judging by the shape you mentioned, it could be chipped hyaline quartz that was found near a chipping workshop. In the case of the other stones, they were just pebbles or rolled stones due to the flow of the river waters.
All archaeological assets are protected by Law 3.924, which determines that the material is considered property of the Union. If it is discovered that you are carrying an archaeological asset, it is up to IPHAN to take legal action, which may lead to lawsuits for damage to the Union's assets.
In other words, your friend still ran the risk of harming himself by having a lithic instrument that was probably deposited in that location.
He did the right thing by taking it to specialists, the question that remains is whether he took it to archaeologists/lithologist archaeologists (correct option) or to geologists who have no training whatsoever to talk about lithic industries or the making of bifacial instruments (wrong option).
Dude, it's not quite like that. He found it near a riverbed. Judging by the characteristics you mentioned, it could be chipped hyaline quartz that was found near a chipping workshop. In the case of the other stones, they were just pebbles or rolled stones due to the flow of the river waters.
All archaeological assets are protected by Law 3.924, which determines that the material is considered property of the Union. If it is discovered that you are carrying an archaeological asset, it is up to IPHAN to take legal action, which may lead to lawsuits for damage to the Union's assets.
In other words, your friend still ran the risk of harming himself by having a lithic instrument that was probably deposited in that location.
He did the right thing by taking it to specialists, the question that remains is whether he took it to archaeologists/lithologist archaeologists (correct option) or to geologists who have no training whatsoever to talk about lithic industries or the making of bifacial instruments (wrong option).