Our Neolithic Collection
The South West Heritage Trust holds a fascinating collection of Neolithic objects. Some of these are on display in the Claiming The Land gallery at the Museum of Somerset. We are extremely proud that part of this remarkable collection will be on loan to the British Museum for their upcoming exhibition The World of Stonehenge.
The World of Stonehenge
The exhibition brings together a selection of exceptional Neolithic objects that tells the human story behind Stonehenge and explores the communities of Prehistoric Britain and Europe. It is open 17 February to 17 July.
Items on Loan
Among these ancient artefacts on display at the British Museum are some prized treasures on loan from The Museum of Somerset. These items will sit amongst other significant objects within the exhibition that collectively reveal powerful traces of ancient human life, creating a rich picture of the life of prehistoric people.
Jadeite axe
People have always treasured special things. This jadeite axe was made in the North Italian Alps. It passed through many hands over a period of at least 500 years. Before it reached Somerset it spent some time in Brittany where it was re-shaped. This precious object finally belonged to one of Somerset’s earliest farmers. It was placed as an offering beside the Sweet Track nearly 6,000 years ago.
Pottery bowl
The clay of this bowl contains traces of fat which show that it held milk products. This is the earliest evidence for dairying in Britain.
‘God Dolly’
This is the oldest carving of a human figure in Britain. It has both male and female body parts and was nicknamed the ‘God Dolly’ by the archaeologists who found it. It may have been a religious object.
“We are delighted to support the British Museum and to see these Somerset treasures on display in the context of wider Neolithic history,” Amal Khreisheh, Curator of Archaeology for the South West Heritage Trust
The Jadeite Axe and God Dolly are kindly loaned to The Museum of Somerset by the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge. Images reproduced by kind permission of the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology under creative commons CC-BY-NC 4.0 licence.