Ax cult in the Bronze Age.

[Ibor]

The Bronze Age in Europe was the dominance of solar cults whose main attribute were axes as cult objects. I present a few of my authorship.

1.Bronze ceremonial ax from Krottenthal, Germany, 1300 - 1100 B.C.

The two magnificent weapons belong to the earliest discoveries kept at the Archäologische Staatssammlung (Archaeological State Collection). In c.1784, a farmer in Krottenthal in Lower Bavaria dug up and sold some weapons. Quite obviously, the weapons belonged to a depot find, but most of the pieces probably went to the furnace. At least it was possible to save two pieces.

The axe was brought to the Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Bavarian Academy of Sciences) in 1808 as a weapon of "outstanding beauty". The affiliation of the lance with the trove is not quite so clear. In the Nationalmuseum's (National Museum) old collection, it was the only object of the same quality from an unknown location. Because of the very similar patina, it was assigned to the Krottenthal Find. The axe is unique. The dating to the thirteenth to the eleventh centuries BC is based on the age of the lance tip "found nearby". The Krottenthal Axe would have been useless as a tool. It was either a ritual weapon or denoted rulership.

The description and the first photo of the artifact come from the website:

https://www.bavarikon.de/.../bav:ASM-OBJ-0000000000000019...

Overall length 27 cm, blade width 12.5 cm, weight 770 grams.

2.Socket ax with a bird, Ordos plateau, 4th century BC.

Length of the ax 13 cm, the width of the blade 5 cm, weight 290 grams.

Total length 54 cm.

Oak wood greased with wild boar.

3.Flanged ax 39 cm long !!! and weighing more than one and a half kilograms comes from Mareuil-sur-Ourcq, France.

The second one, set in a wooden handle, is also from France in Lignieres .... and is the only one of its type !!

Combine socketed ax with flanged ax!

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Beautiful work Ibor

[George N. M.]

Lovely.  A couple of questions:  1) did you strike in the diamond pattern with a chisel and punch or did you etch it in with something acidic?  2) Have you ever made and used a functional bronze axe and do you have an opinion on how well it worked versus an iron or steel axe?

Thanks.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Ibor]

Thanks Gentlemen.
George, this pattern, as well as all others made on bronze or iron, engraves by hand a sharpened piece of iron wire with a stylus.
I deal with experimental archeology, so I naturally use tools, both stone and bronze.
In the case of bronze stocked axes, in my opinion, they fulfill their tasks very well, both as a tool and a weapon.
Of course, the technique of using them for e.g. processing hard wood (oak, beech, ash, etc.) is completely different than that of a modern ax.

[Frosty]

Beautiful as always Ibor. 

Frosty The Lucky.