Export bars placed on ancient flint handaxes from Norfolk

The UK government has imposed export bars on two flint handaxes discovered on the Happisburgh shoreline in Norfolk, England. The artifacts, which provide insight into the lives of some of Britain's earliest human settlers, were uncovered after storms in the East of England cleared away clay and exposed ancient land surfaces. Culture Minister Baroness Twycross announced the temporary export restrictions to allow time for a UK buyer to be found. The handaxes were crafted using a stone or antler hammer to flake both sides of a larger flint piece, resulting in strong, skillfully shaped edges suitable for cutting and scraping, and were used without handles. One handaxe is asymmetrical with patches of orange-brown staining from sediment, measuring 13 cm long and weighing 465 grams. The other is distinguishable by its mottled appearance. The export bars aim to keep these significant archaeological finds in the country.