An unusual object, a long way from home
(read more)Jadeite axehead
BM 1873,0602.148
Polished stone axehead found at Brierlow Bar, 6,000-4,000 years old. (Neolithic)
Stone axes were made to extremely high standards. It requires great skill and time to craft and finish objects from such hard material. Maintaining tools made them more efficient and long lasting. They grew smaller as they were sharpened and re-polished. They were cherished, traded and used over many generations.
Axes, and the raw material to make them, were traded and transported across Britain. This axe is made from jadeite from northern Italy. Sources for other axes have been found slightly closer to home including North Wales, Cornwall, Cumbria and Northern Ireland.
Additional information
- Rights: Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 Buxton Museum and Art Gallery (part of Derbyshire County Council)