“Within the same region in northeast America, the thinning out as does the gouge to the south and west, is an object of rare and highly specialized form, an axe-like implement, known as the bannerstone, with tubular perforation for hafting and with extremely varied wing-like blades. Holmes, Director of the United States National Museum, has been kind enough to let me see the manuscript of his forthcoming book on American Antiquities and to give me his permission to quote from it the following passage. It is usually bored through the center as if for mounting on a staff, but is sometimes found without the bore. It is an ancient thing used by the former inhabitants of North America. The class of objects to which this name has been applied by common consent is found in many different forms and made of a great variety of stones. An examination of the vase paintings shows that Amazons are armed with other weapons quite as often as with the double axe.įig. Nilsson is wrong in his statement that this is the weapon peculiar to the Amazons and that they are always armed with double axes. The fact that it is sometimes seen in the hands of Amazons led Nilsson to call the double axe “The Amazon Axe.” There appears to be no warrant for this name. This occurrence of the double axe, however, as a battle axe used by the heroes of mythology is in no way inconsistent with its sacred attributes or its essentially ceremonial or symbolic character. It is true that it is sometimes represented as a weapon, as in the exploits of Theseus on a red-figured kylix in the British Museum or in the hands of the Amazons, as on a frieze at Magnesia in Asia Minor, and also on vase paintings. It was everywhere a sacred object and its use was symbolic. In all the countries mentioned, the tendency of the double axe is to become associated with ceremonial uses, if indeed it did not begin with these associations. In Scandinavia they are found in the late Stone Age, which, however, was contemporaneous with the Bronze Age in the Mediterranean area. All the examples known, however, belong in the Bronze Age. The stone axes with two cutting edges that are sometimes found in Great Britain, appear to be a local development from the single axe and are less like the double axes of the Mediterranean than are the Scandinavian double stone axes.įrom the evidence of archaeology, therefore, the use of the double axe either as a weapon or as an implement for domestic use or as a symbol or as all three was very general in countries around the Mediterranean during very early times. During the same Stone Age, miniature double axes in the form of amber beads or ornaments were also in use. Scandinavia had double axes of stone in the Stone Age, evidently meant for use. It is found in Asia Minor and among the early Etruscan remains in Italy. 14.Ī double axe appears among the Hittite remains of Syria and Cappadocia where its use was evidently symbolic. Double axe incised on terra cotta fragment. It is also shown on various Greek coins.įig. Small double axes of gold were worn by Greek women and are found in their graves.
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It appears in painted outline upon Dipylon vases and is frequently represented on red-figured and black-figured vase paintings of the Classic period where it is sometimes seen in the hands of various persons portrayed in the decorations. In Sparta, numerous miniature axes in ivory or in bronze have been found dating from a period as early as 800 B.C.
In Greece the symbolic use of the double axe is apparent from very early times. The natural inference is that the double axe in Crete was a sacred object and the symbol a cult. The same design is painted frequently upon Late Minoan I pottery and engraved upon sealstones, and in all these cases the carving or painting has a symbolic significance. The well-known labyrinth or palace excavated by Evans at Knossos takes its name from the double axes carved in outline on its walls. The outline of a double axe was found at Knossos on a clay sealing which Sir Arthur Evans assigns to the Middle Minoan I period.
These are evidently symbolic ornaments and sometimes votive ‘ offerings.
#Curved double sided axe full
The stone axes of the period immediately preceding the Bronze Age are never double.īesides the full sized axes made for use, there have been found in Crete of the Bronze Age, miniature axes of gold, bronze, ivory and clay. The double axe of Crete made its appearance after the beginning of the Bronze Age. They appear to have been intended for use either as weapons or for hewing wood. Gournia, Boyd.Īn example of one or the other of these two classes-migration or convergence-is furnished by the double axe of ancient Europe and the so-called bannerstone of ancient America.ĭouble axes made of bronze and found in Crete are shown in the collections in the University Museum.
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