18 mixed, diverse Sahara Neolithic points/tools

This is a group of 18 good Sahara Neolithic arrowheads and tools mostly from the region of northern Mauritania (south-western Sahara desert). The exceptions are a late Mesolithic/early Neolithic unifacial blade seen horizontally at the bottom left; it is from Morocco. There are also two basally notched Eiffel Tower points seen in the first row, upper right, which were found in Algeria.

The smallest  point, is a triangle of 9/16th inch (15 mm). 

The largest tool is the previously mention Moroccan blade, it is 2 9/16th inches (67 mm), it is at the left on he bottom row.   

The is also a small white half-moon shaped cresent blade, seen second row under the nice red triangle. It may have been used as a part of a sickle blade and is a less common tool form.

The condition is good, there are some small ancient dings to be found, chiefly to the barbs on the stemmed points which were most delicate. Overall,  a nice sampling of Sahara Neolithic relics.  These points and tools  are in decent shape and represent lots of diverse broad point types (unifacial, stemmed, ovate, and triangles) and many types of lithic material. 

These are nice,  typical Neolith projectile points and tools. This is the type of relic you can still pick up if you will have lots of luck and the opportunity to visit Neolithic sites deep in the Sahara. The Sahara can be an unpredicatable and dangerous place, not many of us will have the oppurtunity to visit. These relics are better in hand than picture can convey.   They were lost or discarded by our New Stone Age hunter gatherer ancestors 4,000 - 6,000 years ago.  

Neolithic populations living near now dried lakes and  rivers in what is now the Sahara desert; used  these tools  in the hunt for and processing of waterfowl and small game.  The end of the Ice Age resulted in global climate changes which stopped the rains and forced these Neolithic (New Stone Age) peoples into new modes of existence, either agriculture which was just beginning at the end of the Neolithic, or a nomadic animal husbandry mode of existence. The New Stone Age was a very dynamic era giving rise to agriculture, pottery, and permanent settlements, all of which were milestones in humankinds march toward 'civilized' life. The Sahara Neolithic lasted from 9,000 to 4,000 BP (years Before Present).