Popular Objects



Blade, polished
Polished stone blade (axe) with side facets, shows evidence of longditudinal polishing, end of blade has been broken. Other number: 222. The Langdales and sites in the central Lake District were the sites of a Neolithic axe production. Roughouts of axes were produced by flaking at source. The roughouts were then taken to polishing sites away from the central fells, often on the coast e.g. north Walney. Roughouts were finished by grinding them on selected stones, e.g. gritstones and sandstones. In addition to use as tools, polished stones were so valued by prehistoric peoples they are often found deposited in ritual or special places, e.g. ditches of henges and stone circles. There is good evidence that these prestige objects were exchanged extensively in England and Ireland.



Model, ship
A sailor-made model of the Western Monarch. It is in a wooden case with a glass front and consists of half the ship with a painted sea and sky. The Western Monarch was a fully rigged ship built by the Barrow Shipbuilding Company in 1875. She was Yard Number 23. Her main purpose was carrying emigrants to Australia and New Zealand.
1875 (post)



Adze, polished, perforated
Polished shaft hole adze, hourglass perforation through centre. Group XV (stone) distributed through the central fells round Coniston although this example appears to be polished on one side and edges only, leading the conclusion that it was taken from a secondary source, e.g. local beaches of Furness. Previous accession number: 5007. See CWAAS, 1926, p55 for inventory mention (no detailed information). See also BNFC XV 117. Presented to the museum by Harper Gaythorpe.