A nine-year-old boy from Sussex, England, made a remarkable discovery while exploring Shoreham Beach in 2021. What seemed like a simple shiny rock turned out to be an extraordinary artifact: a Neanderthal hand ax that had been lying undisturbed for tens of thousands of years.
Ben Witten, then just six years old, couldn’t have known that his beachcombing expedition would uncover a piece of prehistoric history. The unexpected find now takes its place in the Worthing Museum, right alongside other Stone Age tools that piqued his curiosity.
From a Beach Rock to a Museum Exhibit
The journey of the Neanderthal hand ax began on a typical family outing to Shoreham Beach. “I just thought it looked different from all the other stones I usually see,” Ben said, recalling the moment he found the shiny flint rock. He brought it home, not suspecting its true nature, and kept it in his bedroom for years.
It wasn’t until a recent visit to Worthing Museum that Ben made the connection. Walking through the Stone Age exhibit, he noticed the familiar shape of a hand ax displayed in the museum—almost identical to the rock he’d been keeping on his dresser for three years.
Ben and his mother, Emma, decided to send photos of the rock to James Sainsbury, the museum’s curator of archaeology. To their astonishment, Sainsbury identified the object as a Neanderthal hand ax, crafted between 40,000 and 60,000 years ago.
A Discovery That Stunned Archaeologists
The rock, which had been a simple curiosity for Ben, turned out to be a prehistoric tool, expertly shaped by Neanderthals during the Middle Paleolithic era. Archaeologists believe the ax was used for cutting and processing materials such as wood or animal hides.
Despite its age, the hand ax shows remarkably little wear, further adding to its rarity. Sainsbury, who was initially skeptical when reviewing the photos, was left in awe. According to the Worthing Museum, it’s “so rare that most qualified archaeologists would never find one themselves.”
The Mystery Behind the Hand Ax’s Location
Experts are still uncertain about how the hand ax ended up where Ben found it. The beach’s shoreline has shifted over the centuries, and at the time of the ax’s creation, the water would have been much farther from the current beach.
It’s unclear whether the Neanderthal who used the tool left it on the shore or if it was carried there by natural forces, possibly from offshore deposits brought onto land to prevent coastal erosion.
While the exact story of how the ax ended up on Shoreham Beach remains a mystery, its discovery has undoubtedly made Ben’s summer outing unforgettable.
Worthing Museum’s Newest Exhibit
Now, the hand ax is on display at Worthing Museum, a stone’s throw from where it was discovered. It’s a rare and valuable piece of human history, connecting modern-day visitors to the lives of ancient ancestors who once roamed the shores of what is now England.
As Ben’s find continues to captivate both the public and experts, it highlights how even the smallest of discoveries can carry immense historical significance. What began as a simple beach find has now become an important link to the distant past.
