A Rare Presentation Collection of British Neolithic Flint Arrowheads
From ‘Carn Brea’, Prehistoric Hill Top Settlement, Cornwall
Discovered Late 19th Century
Ex Thurston Peter Collection
Ex English Private Collection

Interest in amassing collections of British antiquities really began in earnest during the 19th century having remained relatively overlooked in previous centuries, largely due to the widespread fascination with the ancient classical civilisations of Greece and Rome. Now, wealthy, ‘gentleman antiquarians’, popularised amateur archaeology in to a sport of discovery, becoming known as, ‘Barrow-diggers’, they roamed the countryside, studying strange anomalies in the landscape, drawing and recording ancient monuments. Many important burial mounds and prehistoric sites were excavated and interpreted during this period with varying degrees of sophistication, the finds often incorporated in to growing country house collections of antiquities.

This incredible Victorian presentation collection of British Neolithic flint arrowheads were discovered and gathered together from the important, well known Cornish prehistoric hill top settlement, Carn Brea, during the late 19th Century by the antiquarian Thurston Peter, (1854-1917), who conducted a number of well documented excavations at the site during the 1890’s.

This rare grouping superbly represents the beauty, workmanship, and degree of variety of neolithic leaf shaped arrowhead forms well known from this site. Housed and protected within an ingenious, ‘book-form’, display case to allow for ease of carriage about the person in addition to facilitating freestanding upright display, the lid is inlaid with a silver plaque engraved with the details of the contents, their provenance and date.

Dimensions (Approximate)

Case: Length: 11.6cm,    Width: 7.6cm (closed),  15.2cm (open)