Discovering Polisher Stones

When we think about the Neolithic, we usually think about monuments. Stone circles, long barrows, standing stones and other structures dominate the modern landscape and the way we talk about prehistoric Britain.

But the Neolithic landscape also contains much less obvious evidence of everyday activity. Polissoirs are one example.

A polissoir, also known as a polisher stone, is a stone surface used to grind, polish and finish stone tools. Most surviving examples are large stones that remained in one location while tools were worked against their surfaces. Repeated use could leave polished areas, grooves and shallow depressions.

These marks provide direct evidence of prehistoric stone working.

What was a polissoir used for?

The principal use of polissoirs was the finishing of polished stone tools, particularly axes.

Neolithic axes were produced through several stages. A piece of suitable stone was first shaped, often by striking it with another stone. The surface could then be ground and polished to produce the finished tool.

Polishing was particularly important around the cutting edge, where repeated grinding could produce a smoother and more finished surface.

The process involved repeatedly rubbing the stone tool against an abrasive surface. Water and abrasive material could also be used during grinding and polishing. Experimental and archaeological research has shown that different techniques were used to produce polished stone axes.

A polissoir therefore preserves evidence of a particular stage in the manufacture and maintenance of stone tools.

It is important, however, not to assume that every smooth or grooved surface represents the same activity. Archaeologists consider the shape, position and characteristics of the marks when determining whether a stone was used as a polissoir.

Where are polissoirs found?

Polissoirs are particularly well represented in parts of continental Europe, including France. They are also known from Britain and other parts of northern Europe. Similar stone working surfaces have also been recorded in southern Brazil.

Their distribution is partly related to geology. A fixed polissoir needed to be made from a suitable hard stone capable of being used repeatedly for grinding and polishing. The availability of suitable stone therefore influenced where these features could occur.

In Britain, polissoirs are relatively uncommon compared with the large numbers known from some parts of France.

Several examples are known around Avebury in Wiltshire, including examples at Fyfield Down, West Kennet Avenue, West Woods and Overton Down. Together, these provide evidence for prehistoric stone tools working in the landscape around Avebury.

Fyfield Down Polisher Stone

The Fyfield Down polissoir is a large sarsen that originally stood upright. Its surface contains a broad worn area and several grooves produced by repeated working.

The stone was investigated archaeologically in 1963. The excavation showed that it had later been broken. An iron wedge and a coin provided evidence that this happened in the 13th century.

The stone therefore preserves evidence of both its prehistoric use and a much later episode in its history.

West Kennet Avenue Polisher Stone

One of the stones forming West Kennet Avenue has a smooth, worn hollow with several grooves cut into its surface. These marks are consistent with repeated grinding and polishing of stone tools.

The worked area is now part of an upright stone. We cannot establish whether the stone was already being used for this purpose when it was standing, or whether it was worked in another position before being incorporated into the Avenue.

Overton Down Polisher Stone

The Overton Down polissoir was investigated by archaeologist Peter Fowler. Excavation produced a small collection of worked flint, most of which belongs to the Late Neolithic period.

Among the finds was a flake from a polished flint axe. Excavation also identified a possible socket associated with the stone. This led Fowler to suggest that the sarsen may originally have stood upright before being used as a polissoir.

The combination of the worked stone and the associated flint provides evidence for stone tool production in this part of the landscape.

West Woods Polisher Stone

A small polissoir was identified during archaeological survey work in West Woods in 2007. It forms part of a sarsen stone that had already been cut.

Other prehistoric remains have also been recorded in the woodland, including standing stones and evidence of prehistoric activity. Archaeological research has identified a sarsen polissoir in West Woods in connection with the working of stone axes.

Dorset Polisher Stone

A polissoir was identified in 2022 in the Valley of Stones in Dorset. The sarsen has a deep, highly worn depression produced by repeated grinding and polishing.

There is also an area where the surface has been deliberately roughened. This appears to have restored some of the roughness needed for grinding after the working surface had become too smooth.

The stone remains in the ground where it was found, providing an unusually well preserved example of a prehistoric polissoir in its original setting.

Polissoirs in Brazil

At Praia dos Ingleses in Florianópolis, the Oficinas Líticas is a prehistoric stone working site with more than 200 polishing marks recorded across more than 50 rock surfaces.

The marks include grooves, channels and larger depressions. Their exact age cannot currently be established, and it is not possible to confidently attribute all of the features to one particular Indigenous group.

The site provides evidence of prehistoric stone working in a very different geographical and cultural setting from the polissoirs of Britain and continental Europe.

Looking Beyond the Ancient Monuments

Once you start looking for polissoirs, the Avebury landscape changes slightly. The monuments are still there, but so are these much smaller traces of activity, sometimes on stones that otherwise appear ordinary.

For us, that is part of the appeal of exploring ancient landscapes. The most interesting evidence is not always the largest or most obvious. Sometimes it is a groove, a worn patch or a depression on a stone that has been sitting in the landscape for thousands of years.

And that gives us another reason to look closely at the stones themselves, rather than simply looking at the monuments around them.

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