Carl spots stone axe thousands had walked over

Wednesday 25th August 2010, 2:29PM BST.

Carl Dowden with the prehistoric axe head he found while walking near the common on Herm. (1015019)

A TOURIST in Herm has discovered a rare axe head that could be up to 6,000 years old.

Jerseyman Carl Dowden arrived in the island on Thursday to celebrate his 50th birthday. Walking near the common, he spotted something unusual.

‘I could see a half centimetre of stone, with smooth edges, sticking out of the path,’ he said.

‘I kicked it over and the axe came out. It was a well-used path and thousands of people must have walked there, but none of them spotted it.’

Mr Dowden is a member of the Jersey Metal Detecting Society and is interested in finding historical items.

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