On a hill above the River Severn in Littledean, the Forest of Dean lies a natural fresh water spring and sacred site.
People may have visited this place since the Mesolithic. Neolithic settlers left objects and traces of gathering here.During the Bronze Age, the site continued to be used. By the Iron Age, it had become a Celtic holy site and swordsmith’s workshop.
Then the Romans came and built a nymphaeum over the sacred ground - a temple dedicated to a water related Nymph or Goddess.
Over the centuries pilgrims came from afar seeking healing from the spring and to place offerings in the water. More than a hundred carved stone heads were left at the site. Among them, a Neolithic polished axe head pendant was found. The original was made from Greenstone, possibly from France.
This replica I am working on is Langdale Greenstone from Cumbria, a very popular material for polished axe heads during the late Stone Age.
This necklace is complete with handmade, naturally stabilised hemp rope cordage and a toggle made of English oak.
Pendant dimensions:
90mm × 30mm × 10mm
Hang length:
360mm
TĀXSLO - ‘axe’ in Poto-Celtic (reconstructed language)
On a hill above the River Severn in Littledean, the Forest of Dean lies a natural fresh water spring and sacred site.
People may have visited this place since the Mesolithic. Neolithic settlers left objects and traces of gathering here.During the Bronze Age, the site continued to be used. By the Iron Age, it had become a Celtic holy site and swordsmith’s workshop.
Then the Romans came and built a nymphaeum over the sacred ground - a temple dedicated to a water related Nymph or Goddess.
Over the centuries pilgrims came from afar seeking healing from the spring and to place offerings in the water. More than a hundred carved stone heads were left at the site. Among them, a Neolithic polished axe head pendant was found. The original was made from Greenstone, possibly from France.
This replica I am working on is Langdale Greenstone from Cumbria, a very popular material for polished axe heads during the late Stone Age.
This necklace is complete with handmade, naturally stabilised hemp rope cordage and a toggle made of English oak.
Pendant dimensions:
90mm × 30mm × 10mm
Hang length:
360mm
TĀXSLO - ‘axe’ in Poto-Celtic (reconstructed language)
