jade axe

MAC GIR-000366

Object type jade axe

Culture/period Prehistory

Materials jade, igneous rock

Technique polishing

Mint

Production date -6000 / -4700

Museum Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya - Girona

Current location MASPG

Archaeological site Ripoll

Township Ripoll (Europa, Espanya, Catalunya, Girona, Ripollès)

Dimensions 78 x 43 x 22 mm

Description

Polished axe of jade, from Ripoll, and dating to the early Neolithic (5600 - 4500 BC). This type of axe is a very characteristic piece of the Neolithic period, and its use extended until well into the Bronze Age. Jade or jadeite polished axes have been found throughout the territory of Western Europe, including the northern Iberian Peninsula. The origin of these axes, according to investigations carried out, is in the Alps, in the north of the Italian Peninsula. This region has been considered the only possible origin for jade or jadeite Neolithic axes. According to some researchers, these polished axes were not used as a working tool, despite the hardness of the material, but as a prestige element because many of those found in funeral sites did not have marks of use. Therefore, these types of axes may be used to show the social status of the individual or his belonging to a social group.

Omeka ID 3143