Family finds Stone Age relics on beach (From Malvern Gazette)

Family finds Stone Age relics on beach

9:59am Friday 26th September 2008

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AN unexpected find by a Malvern family on holiday may prove to be worth more than its weight in gold if French authorities reward them €30,000 (£23,800).

Adam MacHale, a 38-year-old telecommunications engineer from Cowleigh Bank, stumbled across four Stone-Age axe heads while strolling across a beach at Saint-Pierre-Quiberon, France, with his partner and two children.

He said: “They were green and very polished. At first I thought they were clam shells but as I picked them up I realised it was something very exciting.”

Mr MacHale, a keen fan of Channel 4’s Time Team programme, made a detailed note of where they had found the stones in the marsh land before heading back to town.

Instead of keeping the objects or attempting to sell them to a private collector, Mr MacHale handed them over to the Ministry of Culture earning him a great deal of gratitude.

“Their attitude was that of good citizens,” said Emmanuelle Vigier, curator at Carnac Museum of Prehistory in southern Brittany, where the axes went on display this week.

The Neolithic axe heads are believed to date back about 6,500 years and may have been part of a diplomatic gift between Stone Age leaders, believe researchers.

The MacHales will now be eligible for an award up to €30,000 if their find is deemed to be of international importance by a panel of experts.

Mr MacHale’s son Luke, aged six, and daughter Poppy, aged four, should have plenty of stories to tell classmates about buried treasure at Northleigh Primary School.

Mr MacHale said: “It’s quite difficult for them to explain the find because it’s something that’s nearly 7,000 years old.

“But we were all looking for sea shells, so it was a family discovery.”

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