Hoxne handaxe, digital illustration by Rob Hedge. In 1797, antiquarian John Frere wrote to the Society of Antiquaries, describing the discovery of some curious flint objects in a pit dug by Suffolk brickworkers. \u201cThey are\u201d, Frere wrote, \u201cI think, evidently weapons of war, fabricated and used by a people who had not the use of metals.\u201d Frere noted that they lay 12 feet deep, beneath soil layers \u201cformed by inundations happening at distant periods\u201d, some of which contained \u201cextraordinary bones\u201d of what we now surmise to be Ice Age megafauna. Crucially, Frere concluded that \u201cThe situation in which these weapons were found may tempt us to refer them to a very remote period indeed; even beyond that of the present world\u201d; in doing so, he was the first to conclude that such objects were made by early humans, and to note an association with ancient bones. Few appreciated the significance of the find until \u2014 six decades later \u2014 archaeologist John Evans spotted the handaxes in a case at the Society of Antiquaries, and connected them to his own discoveries at Abbeville, France.<\/p>
The talent for archaeological dedication ran in the family: Frere\u2019s descendants include legendary 20th century Palaeoanthropologist Mary Leakey, and the influential Romanist Sheppard Frere.<\/p>","brand":null,"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"Hoxne handaxe, digital illustration by Rob Hedge. In 1797, antiquarian John Frere wrote to the Society of Antiquaries, describing the discovery of som...","metaImage":null,"noIndex":false,"giftWrapCompatible":true,"approvalStatus":"approved","ecoIcons":["ethical-icon.png","low-carbon-icon.png","organic-icon.png"],"isBundle":false,"type":"Printed Kids T-Shirt","specifications":"Certified Organic Cotton t-shirt, 155g\/m2. Wash cool, hang dry. GM free. Not tested on animals. Does not contain animal-derived products. Printed in the UK with low waste printing tech. 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