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Description: | Much worn and abraded, large body fragment of a knapped, ground and polished axe-head of probable later Neolithic date (2500-2100 BC). The axe is knapped from a light blueish/brown buff volcanic tuff. The fragment has been reworked extensively and is broadly sub-rectangular in plan and irregular, with a distinctive humped face, in cross section. What is left of the sides of the axe have been heavily abraded and there is some evidence of gently rounded, polished side facets. On one side, striations are clearly visible (see close-up image). The axe fragment has been damaged in several areas (old and fresh damage). The recent damage can be seen as a number of distinct hinge fractures and relatively deep and uncontrolled flakes located along both long edges of the axe and butt. In addition to these areas there are also a number of other areas of flaking. These are similar to those that you would expect through the roughing out process, but have cut through the polished surface. This would suggest that someone has deliberately reflaked the axe prior to its deposition. These areas are also well patinated (unlike the areas of modern damage). This would suggest that the axe has been remodeled during its working life ?? probably due to the fact that the axe had been badly damaged. It is impossible to source axes such as these without a detailed petrological analysis of the rock. This would allow the original source of the rock to be established. However, the weathered colour of the tuff is typical similar to a number of axes in the collection of Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, Carlisle, which have been petrographically tested as coming from the Langdale source (Group VI).
This rock type is formed from compressed volcanic ash and has a fine grained composition with infrequent crystalline inclusions. Tuff is found in Britain and Ireland in a band that runs down the Irish Sea from the Lake District (the Langdale??s source Group VI), County Antrim (Ireland), through North Wales (Graig Lwyd Group VII), and into Cornwall and Devon (Groups XVI and IV respectively). Volcanic tuff is similar to flint in that it can be finely worked, ground and polished to form a variety of tools; however axes are the most common find type and were used across Northern Europe during the Neolithic period.
Recorded at Finds Day at Kendal Museum, April 2008 | Subjects: | Langdale | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Boughton, Dot - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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