Rock Physics and the Neolithic Axe Trade in Great Britain*

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the products of a number of Neolithic quarries in highland Britain. It investigates ihe claim that the scale of axe distribution was partly the result o j social factors which resulted in these artejacts gaining an added value in areas remote f r o m their sources. One case study considers the sequence ofproduction in Cumbria, in relation to the tensile strength of the rock quarried in d i e r e n t parts of the region. It shows thai these considerations had only a limited influence over the choice of stone source and the scale on which it was worked. A second study compares the tensile strength of the main raw materials used f o r making non-pint axes with the extent to which these sources were aciually exploited. Again there is only a limited relationship between the two, suggesting that social factors may indeed have been important.

Petrographical, structural, and mechanical analysis of armorican phtanites: A key raw material for the Mesolithic in Western France

“…Other experimental studies have mainly focused on the effect of the conditions of knapping on the size of products obtained (Dibble & Pelcin, 1995;Dibble & Rezek, 2009) or on the physical properties of raw materials and their use-wear capacities (Lerner et al, 2007). Numerous examples of the evaluation and quantification of the influence of mechanical properties of materials in prehistoric industries are known-notably for the Neolithic axe trade in Great Britain (Bradley et al, 1992), Amazonian Paleoindian axes (Gil Sevillano, 1997), and Japanese Paleolithic sites (Yonekura et al, 2008). In the Japanese study, the structural and compositional features were combined with surface mechanical properties.…”

Acknowledged authenticity. Or did the origin of rock matter in the Mesolithic?

“…Different rock types have different mechanical properties, such as hardness and flexibility, influencing their knapability or suitability for grinding and edge durability, which can be tested and documented (e.g. Bradley et al 1992). Such properties obviously influenced peoples' choice of rock source.…”

Archaeometry and materiality: materials‐based analysis in theory and practice*

“…The mechanical properties of objects—plasticity, malleability, fragmentation and thermal and mechanical shock resistance—are again fundamental subjects of enquiry for archaeometrists (e.g., Anders et al . 1992; Bradley et al . 1992; Kilikoglou et al .…”