Palaeolithic, 85,000-40,000 years BP. A group of twelve stone Aterian tanged transverse style points and tools; held in a white card collector's tray. 273 grams total, 36-80mm (1 1/4 - 3"). From Grotte des Pigeons in Taforalt, Morocco. Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey. The tang would have been inserted into a split handle or shaft of wood or bone, bound with cord or with a binding agent which would have to harden to fix it permanently in place. Aterian is the name given to a distinctive stone tool indtry made by anatomically modern humans between about 80,000 and 40,000 years ago. The tools are found on sites in northern Africa between the Atlantic coast, to the Kharga Oasis and the western edge of the Nile River Basin. The manufacturing process for these tools is derived from the earlier 'Moterian' methods for working stone, ing prepared and shaped cores from which were struck off large flakes which were then often unifacially trimmed into the desired tool shapes. They continued with the same basic stone working processes, but with a major conceptual difference. The 'Aterian' style tools are the first to have clearly been designed and manufactured to be mounted on handles, with the projectile points and the scrapers having distinctive prepared 'tangs' at the base of the tool or projectile point. [12, No Reserve]