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Description: | An almost complete axehead rough-out of later Neolithic date (c. 2500-2100 BC). This rough-out is very long and heavy and has a biconvex cross-section throughout its length. It looks as if, after the stone had been chosen, the knapper started to make the axe, which never went further than the rough-out state. There is no sign of finished or polished edges or surface and the sides taper to a point rather than the vertically knapped edge that finished Langdale axes have. Clearly, the rough-out was discarded before it was finished for unknown reason. The chips missing from the sides and the surface show old wear and it is unlikely that it was ever used.The rough-out is knapped from a greenish/grey 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. Due to the find spot of this axe it is more than likely that the tuff came from the Langdale's source Group VI in Cumbria.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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