Malonaitis, Arvydas

In order to identify possible interface with purpose of an axe, the article discusses parameters such as size, weight, blade width and form of wedge of ornamented narrow-bladed blunt-ended axes and axes of the elongation of a butt at the sides, which were used in the second half of the first millennium. A total of 20 ornamented and 19 non ornamented type 7 axes and 10 axes of the elongation of a butt at the sides data were used in the study. A review of axes parameters showed that, in this respect, expressive axes of the elongation of a butt at the sides do not stand out from the total mass of axes. It was found that type 7 ornamented and non-ornamented axes form one whole. They are characterized by relatively high altitudes at low weights, relatively wide blade, narrow wedge. No correlations were observed between the presence or absence of the ornament and the technical parameters. According to the set of features, axes of this type stand out the most from all other axes andfrom the technical perspective are the closest to the image of the so-called battle axe. Whether they were battle axes ñ it is difficult to say. Potentiallywe could consider them as such only in terms of a narrow chronologicalperiod (5ñ6th centuries) and territory. The review once again showed that, at least for axes in the first millennium, the term battle axe used by many authorsis just a nice-sounding metaphor.

The article sets out to review the size and weight of the axes used on the territory of Lithuania in the 1st–16th century in order to determine how these parameters changed over time and how well-founded the statements on the dynamics of these parameters appearing in archaeological literature are. To that end, the average values of axe size and weight were calculated, i.e. their individual type was regarded as a whole. The data analysis revealed a clear trend of decreasing axe size until the 14th–first half of the 15th century. The weight analysis showed a different trend – axe weight demonstrated a significant growth from the second half of the 15th century only, after the axes with angular flat butts designed for the fitting of the haft with an oval cross-section came into use. Consequently, occasional statements on the small size, imperfection and inefficiency of the 1st millennium axes and the large size and heavy weight of the 10th–13th century axes appear ill-founded or based on the visual observations of their small number only, and they should therefore be corrected.

The article aims to discuss the reuse of objects, something that has so far not been investigated in greater detail in Lithuania. Iron Age single-bladed axes and hoes, which were deformed and remade, thereby changing their function, were selected as an example. Despite the corrosion, it appears that both the axes and the hoes were used prior to the blade being rotated 90°. Axe and hoe production technologies are similar and it is not difficult to rotate their blades. But it is hardly possible to explain the occurrence of this action for only practical reasons. The article attempts to ascertain possible reasons for this transformation. It examines axes and hoes with rotated blades as examples of human behaviour, revealing not only functional, but also social, communicative, and psychological aspects of the object’s reuse.

The paper sets out to review the peculiar characteristics of the structural parts of the 14thñ16th century axes ñ their butt, head, blade, and shaft-hole. Hence, it discusses the aspects, which are not covered by the research of Eugenijus Svetikas (Svetikas 2011, 48ñ84; Svetikas 2014, 33, 35ñ36), but it nevertheless follows the division of axes into two types proposed by him. The review of the major parameters of axes (height, weight, width of an axe blade) pinpointed obvious differences between the two types (Malonaitis 2013, 3ñ17). A detailed review of outer characteristics also reveals evident differences associated with a new trend in axe production. As this topic was already covered in the press (Malonaitis 2014, 5ñ23), the present paper provides slightly shortened and clarified data on axe butts and heads as well as a previously unpublished material on blades. The study on axes was in part based on the methodology, which was applied in the case of narrow-bladed axes (Malonaitis 2008, 16ñ18). The analysis of 275 axes is produced by using data of 16 museums of Lithuania.

The article sets out to review certain manifestations of „damaging” iron axes on the territory of Lithuania from the first centuries AD to the Middle Ages, i.e. from the occurrence of these artefacts over a wide area to the end of the tradition of placing grave goods in the grave. Fifty-seven cases of „damaging” were found in the group of narrow-bladed axes, with most damage occurring in the area of the axe’s butt, head and blade. Twenty-four artefacts featuring such damage were found in the group of wide-bladed axes of the 10th –12th/13th century, including three M type axes which are broken and bent. Eleven damaged axes were found in the group of the 14th –16th century wide-bladed axes. The review revealed that the phenomenon is ambiguous and rather complex. The axe’s butt and the part of the head with the blade broken off in a particularly exact manner imply the defects that are definitely a result of ritual actions. There is some uncertainty about the damage which occurs on the blade. However, it is a bit too early to attribute the defects to rituals alone. While more in-depth studies on the surface, detachment points and edges are lacking, there is still an opportunity that at least some of the defects are functional by nature (e.g. resulting from a fight). The review pinpointed the general tendencies of „damaging” iron axes on the Lithuanian territory. To learn more about the phenomenon in question, further studies focusing on specific periods, archaeological cultures and regions are required.