Neolithic Spa Day: Axes and Antlers Included!
Introduction
Hey there, fellow explorers! So, guess what? My dad and I took a trip to Stonehenge, and boy, do I have some hilarious theories to share! You know, Stonehenge has people scratching their heads. Is it a Neolithic cathedral, a healing place, or just an ancient memorial to ancestors? Neolithic period life was all about settling down. Humans started growing plants, taming animals, and basically, they figured out life beyond just hunting wild chickens. Don’t you wonder though, what about economics and money in that period?
Discussion
So, here’s the fun bit! In 2008, some clever folks, Timothy Darvill and Geoffrey Wainwright, did an excavation at Stonehenge, and they thought it was a healing place. They said the bluestones got there around or after 2500 BCE, around which time nearby burials of people with odd injuries appeared. Sounds like a Neolithic hospital, right? Then you have to remember, the Neolithic period went on from 4300 BC to 2000 BC, and we have sites like Avebury, Stonehenge, and Silbury Hill.
Now, check this out: it seems Neolithic axes were like ancient currency! These axeheads were highly polished, pretty, and probably used like early-day credit cards! Despite not having a formal currency system, objects like these axes facilitated trade and represented value among Neolithic communities. Furthermore, our guy, Mr R. J. C. Atkinson, once spotted what looked like a dagger and some axes carved into Stonehenge using a reflex camera! Later, a ten-year-old, David found more carvings, proving kids were always the better treasure hunters! Oh, and let’s not forget, they used antler tools to build the main ditch. So here’s my business question: What if these axe images were actually the spa prices on a menu-board? Imagine getting an axe-polish instead of a pedicure!
Lesson
Currency value was proportional to usefulness in ancient times, as reflected by the potential use of Neolithic axeheads as a form of currency. This concept makes us ponder about the value of cryptocurrencies in today’s world and how their usefulness influences their worth!
Neolithic axeheads as currency? Let’s talk about do cryptos have real value!
Not to be Taken Seriously
References
- https://mikepitts.wordpress.com/2015/08/01/a-short-blog-about-axe-blades-carved-onto-stonehenge-megaliths/
- https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/classics/warwickclassicsnetwork/romancoventry/resources/prehistoricbritain/neolithic/
- https://asia-archive.si.edu/learn/for-educators/teaching-china-with-the-smithsonian/explore-by-dynasty/neolithic-period/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10816-019-09425-x
- https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-anthro-092611-145716
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/abs/symbols-carved-on-stonehenge/C81C5B379B6733A27EA48B97AE18CA52
- https://journals.uclpress.co.uk/ai/article/id/1207/
- https://journals.uclpress.co.uk/ai/article/id/1207/
- https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/3914/92p039.pdf
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