Ancient Axes & Axe Heads

Our impressive range of cutting tools extends from the Neolithic period to the Middle Ages, and boasts examples from areas as wide-ranging as Britain and Persia. Made of either stone or metal, the axe head was mounted on a haft of wood or bone. It fulfilled a variety of functions: naturally most served as weapons, but the adze was used for shaping wood, and many axes were used ceremonially as votives in shrines, sanctuaries, and graves. The designs of the axe heads were similarly varied, both in terms of decorative detail and of general shape. This variety, in combination with the frequency of the artefact, makes axe heads an invaluable tool in plotting the chronology of metallurgy across the world.