COPPER AXES

Budapest

These are large axes with blades wide in the middle and strongly worn away. The solid cast copper axes and picks were already noted by prehistoric research in the middle of the 19^th century. Because of the great frequency of copper axe finds, the existence of a new period, the Copper Age was suspected for the first time between the Neolithic era and the Bronze Age. These objects also played an essential role in the further studies of the period. There were very different theories put forward concerning the function of the axes, and this diversity of opinion is still present today. These justly well-known prehistoric tools could have been used for mining, woodcarving or could have been weapons or honour symbols. They were first used at the end of the Early Copper Age, and at the end of the Middle Copper Age they quite suddenly disappeared. From the Late Copper Age there are no traces of such artefacts, which weigh several kilograms and are of respectful quality. The researchers are still guessing what could have been the cause of their disappearance. Most likely the basic cultural and social changes between the two periods were the causes besides other historical phenomena.

Literature

Pulszky, Ferenc: Die Kupferzeit in Ungarn. Budapest 1884

Patay, Pál: Kupferzeitliche Meißel, Beile und Äxte in Ungarn. PBF IX.15. München 1984.