Jade axes in the Aegean?
Contacts with agrarian societies from Central Europe during the Final Neolithic
Lasse Sørensen
The National Museum of Denmark
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Jade axes - items of prestige, power and symbolic
Petrequien 2012, 27ff
Ethnographic records from West Papua, Indonesia
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After: Petrequin 2012
Symbolic value in the archaeological record
Neolithic graves in Carnac
Grave at Carnac containing jade axes
After: Petrequin 2012
After: Bailloud et al. 1995
Where were the jade axes procured?
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Possible jade sources
in the Italian Alps, 1880 AD
After: Piolti 1898; 1902; Petrequin 2012
Procurement strategy – higher mountains
After: Peterquin et al. 2007; Petrequin 2012
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After: Petrequin 2012
Production of preforms
Petrequin 2012
Distributed to all over Europe
Jade axes are interpreted as items of prestigious
exchange showing contact
with agrarian societies in
Central and Eastern Europe
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Petrequin 2012
Thin jade axes
Thick jade axes from Italy
After: Petrequin
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Different types
of jade axes in Europe
Petrequin 2007
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Copper axe Sesklo 4500-3200 cal BC
4900-3600 cal BC
Late and Final Neolihic in Greece Copper Age in Central Europe
The emergence of new power structures
Petrequin 2012
Petrequin 2012
Jade axes from Varna were reshaped
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Jade axes from Bulgaria – Svoboda and Durankulak
Types of jade axes and their chronology in Bulgaria
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Are there any
jade axes in the
Aegean area?
The Rhousopoulos collection – 240 polished axes
• Athanasios Rhousopoulos (1823-1898)
• From “middlemen”
• Buying from farmers
• Buying from other antique dealers
• Buying from grave robbers?
• Excavations directed by himself
• Labels – origin of the artifacts
• Region or city name and when the object was found
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After: Galanakis 2008
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0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Nr. of axes
Nr. of axes
Distribution – collected from 1872-1884
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After: Sørensen 2012
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Aegean:
Local imitations of jade and copper axes?
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Nephrite – Blinkenberg 1902
Local sources?
Need to do petrographic studies of Aegean axes
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Axes from Pylos – several imitations of jade axes
Ceremonial axes?
Imitations of jade axes or
Stone heads acroliths
Final Neolithic
Dimini
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