It is a 5,000-year-old jigsaw that has been revealed as one of the most pristine Stone Age arrowheads ever found in Britain.
Archaeologists have unearthed an inch long barb of flint that matches another larger part found five years earlier just seven feet away.
Together they constitute a two inch long arrow that has left experts amazed at the level of craftsmanship that must have done into making it.
Dr Jim Leary, one of the archaeologists who led the excavation at Marden Henge near Devizes in Wiltshire, said the arrowhead was 'truly unique'.
A deadly but beautiful jigsaw: Delicate 5,000-year-old flint arrowhead could be the work of a Stone Age master craftsman
Archaeologists have unearthed an inch long barb of flint at Marden Henge
Five years earlier a broken flint arrowhead was found at the site in Wiltshire
The two parts fit perfectly together and form an intricate stone arrowhead
It may have been used as a ceremonial arrow rather than for hunting
By Richard Gray for MailOnline
12 July 2016
It is a 5,000-year-old jigsaw that has been revealed as one of the most pristine Stone Age arrowheads ever found in Britain.
Archaeologists have unearthed an inch long barb of flint that matches another larger part found five years earlier just seven feet away.
Together they constitute a two inch long arrow that has left experts amazed at the level of craftsmanship that must have done into making it.
The intricate arrowhead is thought to be the finest to be found in Britain and shows the level of skill that Stone Age weapons makers must have had to knap the flint to a thickness of just 2mm. The new barb found at the site shows how the arrowhead had a 'unique' design for the time (pictured)
Dr Jim Leary, one of the archaeologists who led the excavation at Marden Henge near Devizes in Wiltshire, said the arrowhead was 'truly unique'.
He said: 'What stands this arrowhead apart from others is the extremely long tail on one side.
'It wasn't an arrowhead to be used in everyday circumstances like hunting. This belonged to somebody who was showing off their ability of craftsmanship.
'You can imagine the annoyance and shouts of anger when the incredibly fragile tail part snapped off.
'It terms of quality this is totally unique for this period in this country. If you want find anything similar in terms of craftsmanship you would have to go to the continent.'
Marden Henge, which covers 30 acres and was first discovered in 1805, is the largest of its type – 10 times the size of Stonehenge to its south.
The first part of the flint arrow head was discovered in 2010 while the new piece was discovered just last year.
Archaeologists took the tiny tail section to the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, Wiltshire, and were stunned when they found it was a perfect match to the piece that had been found five years earlier.
Dr Leary is heard in a video shouting 'it fits' to gasps of other experts.
While it is not clear who made the arrowhead, it would have taken a long time to painstakingly thin the flint down to a thickness of just 2mm.
The thin barb was found in an excavation last year and archaeologists discovered it was a perfect fit (pictured) to a broken part of a delicate arrow head discovered at just a few feet away five years earlier
The arrowhead is quite unlike anything else found in Britain. Unlike other flint arrowheads from the time, it is unlikely it was used for hunting but may have had some ceremonial purpose
WHAT IS MARDEN HENGE?
The enormous Marden Henge, in Wiltshire, is Britain's largest prehistoric structure stretching for 10.5 hectares, the equivalent of 10 football pitches.
Most of the Neolithic henge has been destroyed over the years due to farming and erosion but minor excavations in 41 years ago estimate the site to between 2,000 and 2,400BC.
Marden Henge was once a 45ft high mound surrounded by a water filled ditch which was used for sacrificial offerings.
Although the henge no longer has its vast stone circle it has a large puzzling sunken circular feature which is almost unheard of at Neolithic sites.
The remains of one building found on the site is thought to be the remains of a 4,500 year old sauna that wuld have overlooked a ceremonial area of the henge.
They used a technique called pressure flaking to create a razor sharp edge on either side.
Experts believe the arrow could have belonged to the chief of a Noelithic tribe at the time. The site where it was found is thought to have been an important building at Marden Henge.
David Dawson, director at the Wiltshire Museum, said: 'The arrowhead was in two parts. One was excavated in 2010 and the second part - the long tail - was found last year.
'They are now on display after they were put together for the first time in over 4,500 years.
The arrowhead was found at Marden Henge, which is 10 times the size of Stonehenge further to the south
The main part of the arrowhead (pictured) was discovered during an excavation in 2010. The flint had been worked until it was just 2mm thick and the edges were razor sharp
The inch long barb (pictured) was discovered just seven feet away from the main part of the arrowhead at Marden Henge
Marden Henge covers a site (pictured) that is ten times the size of Stonehenge further to the south
Marden Henge (pictured) is thought to have been ceremonial significance during the British Neolithic
'They were placed at the join and it was a perfect fit. It was as though it had been dropped yesterday.
'It is made of flint but the best piece of workmanship went into crafting it. It is just an outstanding piece.
'Flint is very brittle, like glass, yet someone had the skill to thing this down to just two millimetres at the tail.
Archaeologist Dr Jim Leary was among those leading the team who unearthed the flint fragments (pictured)
Archaeologists were stunned when they found the flint barb was a perfect match to a broken stone arrowhead found at the site five years earlier (pictured)
The barb was shown to be a perfect match to the broken arrowhead at the Wiltshire Museum (pictured)
'It must have been made for ceremonial purposes. It is too fragile to ever have been used. If you used this in battle it would be akin to taking your Lamborghini to Tesco.
'It is exceptional and nothing like this has been found before. You can't put a price on it.'
Mr Dawson speculated that the arrowhead could have been a prize in a hunting game at the henge that would have involved people using arrows to kill a hog, much like a Spanish bullfight.
The arrowhead has now gone on display at the Wiltshire Museum. The museum is also running special excavation tours to Marden Henge from July 8 to 24.
Members of the public are to be offered special excavation tours to Marden Henge during July (pictured)
Archaeologists have unearthed an inch long barb of flint that matches another larger part found five years earlier just seven feet away.
Together they constitute a two inch long arrow that has left experts amazed at the level of craftsmanship that must have done into making it.
Dr Jim Leary, one of the archaeologists who led the excavation at Marden Henge near Devizes in Wiltshire, said the arrowhead was 'truly unique'.
A deadly but beautiful jigsaw: Delicate 5,000-year-old flint arrowhead could be the work of a Stone Age master craftsman
Archaeologists have unearthed an inch long barb of flint at Marden Henge
Five years earlier a broken flint arrowhead was found at the site in Wiltshire
The two parts fit perfectly together and form an intricate stone arrowhead
It may have been used as a ceremonial arrow rather than for hunting
By Richard Gray for MailOnline
12 July 2016
It is a 5,000-year-old jigsaw that has been revealed as one of the most pristine Stone Age arrowheads ever found in Britain.
Archaeologists have unearthed an inch long barb of flint that matches another larger part found five years earlier just seven feet away.
Together they constitute a two inch long arrow that has left experts amazed at the level of craftsmanship that must have done into making it.
The intricate arrowhead is thought to be the finest to be found in Britain and shows the level of skill that Stone Age weapons makers must have had to knap the flint to a thickness of just 2mm. The new barb found at the site shows how the arrowhead had a 'unique' design for the time (pictured)
Dr Jim Leary, one of the archaeologists who led the excavation at Marden Henge near Devizes in Wiltshire, said the arrowhead was 'truly unique'.
He said: 'What stands this arrowhead apart from others is the extremely long tail on one side.
'It wasn't an arrowhead to be used in everyday circumstances like hunting. This belonged to somebody who was showing off their ability of craftsmanship.
'You can imagine the annoyance and shouts of anger when the incredibly fragile tail part snapped off.
'It terms of quality this is totally unique for this period in this country. If you want find anything similar in terms of craftsmanship you would have to go to the continent.'
Marden Henge, which covers 30 acres and was first discovered in 1805, is the largest of its type – 10 times the size of Stonehenge to its south.
The first part of the flint arrow head was discovered in 2010 while the new piece was discovered just last year.
Archaeologists took the tiny tail section to the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, Wiltshire, and were stunned when they found it was a perfect match to the piece that had been found five years earlier.
Dr Leary is heard in a video shouting 'it fits' to gasps of other experts.
While it is not clear who made the arrowhead, it would have taken a long time to painstakingly thin the flint down to a thickness of just 2mm.
The thin barb was found in an excavation last year and archaeologists discovered it was a perfect fit (pictured) to a broken part of a delicate arrow head discovered at just a few feet away five years earlier
The arrowhead is quite unlike anything else found in Britain. Unlike other flint arrowheads from the time, it is unlikely it was used for hunting but may have had some ceremonial purpose
WHAT IS MARDEN HENGE?
The enormous Marden Henge, in Wiltshire, is Britain's largest prehistoric structure stretching for 10.5 hectares, the equivalent of 10 football pitches.
Most of the Neolithic henge has been destroyed over the years due to farming and erosion but minor excavations in 41 years ago estimate the site to between 2,000 and 2,400BC.
Marden Henge was once a 45ft high mound surrounded by a water filled ditch which was used for sacrificial offerings.
Although the henge no longer has its vast stone circle it has a large puzzling sunken circular feature which is almost unheard of at Neolithic sites.
The remains of one building found on the site is thought to be the remains of a 4,500 year old sauna that wuld have overlooked a ceremonial area of the henge.
They used a technique called pressure flaking to create a razor sharp edge on either side.
Experts believe the arrow could have belonged to the chief of a Noelithic tribe at the time. The site where it was found is thought to have been an important building at Marden Henge.
David Dawson, director at the Wiltshire Museum, said: 'The arrowhead was in two parts. One was excavated in 2010 and the second part - the long tail - was found last year.
'They are now on display after they were put together for the first time in over 4,500 years.
The arrowhead was found at Marden Henge, which is 10 times the size of Stonehenge further to the south
The main part of the arrowhead (pictured) was discovered during an excavation in 2010. The flint had been worked until it was just 2mm thick and the edges were razor sharp
The inch long barb (pictured) was discovered just seven feet away from the main part of the arrowhead at Marden Henge
Marden Henge covers a site (pictured) that is ten times the size of Stonehenge further to the south
Marden Henge (pictured) is thought to have been ceremonial significance during the British Neolithic
'They were placed at the join and it was a perfect fit. It was as though it had been dropped yesterday.
'It is made of flint but the best piece of workmanship went into crafting it. It is just an outstanding piece.
'Flint is very brittle, like glass, yet someone had the skill to thing this down to just two millimetres at the tail.
Archaeologist Dr Jim Leary was among those leading the team who unearthed the flint fragments (pictured)
Archaeologists were stunned when they found the flint barb was a perfect match to a broken stone arrowhead found at the site five years earlier (pictured)
The barb was shown to be a perfect match to the broken arrowhead at the Wiltshire Museum (pictured)
'It must have been made for ceremonial purposes. It is too fragile to ever have been used. If you used this in battle it would be akin to taking your Lamborghini to Tesco.
'It is exceptional and nothing like this has been found before. You can't put a price on it.'
Mr Dawson speculated that the arrowhead could have been a prize in a hunting game at the henge that would have involved people using arrows to kill a hog, much like a Spanish bullfight.
The arrowhead has now gone on display at the Wiltshire Museum. The museum is also running special excavation tours to Marden Henge from July 8 to 24.
Members of the public are to be offered special excavation tours to Marden Henge during July (pictured)
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