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Description: | Much worn and abraded knapped, ground and polished axe-head of probable later Neolithic date (2900-2100 BC). The axe is knapped from a mid brown buff volcanic tuff. 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.
This axe has been reworked extensively and is broadly sub-rectangular in plan and irregular, with a distinctive humped face, in cross section. In plan the sides of the axe taper from the widest point behind the cutting edge to a relatively narrow rounded incomplete butt. The sides of the axe have been heavily abraded and there is no evidence of polished side facets. The cutting edge is largely complete and well defined, it is crescent shaped in plan with some evidence of distinct facets formed from polishing. The have mostly been lost due to the reworking. The butt of the axe is incomplete with a series of flake scars present. The axe measures 92mm length, a maximum of 46.5mm width, and is a maximum of 28.5mm thick. The axe weighs 131.07 grams.
The axe has been damaged in several areas. Some of this has occurred relatively recently whilst some is more recent. 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 scars / flakes are relatively regular and slightly dished in appearance; they are present mostly around the butt of the axe. 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. This would also explain the relatively small size and presence of the hump so far back along the profile of the axe.
The axe is a mid brown buff colour with several areas of smooth well polished surface. The areas of damage and flaking have been outlined above. 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 Shropshire County Museum Service which have been petrographically tested as coming from Graig Lwyd / North Wales source (Group VII). | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Reavill, Peter - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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