European Bronze Age farmers differed from their stone-cutting predecessors – they used horses and chariots to work, kept flocks of sheep to make woollen clothing and used bronze as a standard commodity of exchange. The technological development that occurred in that time was rapid: the manufacture of tools and weapons increased and specialised equipment for shaving, woodworking and metalworking was created. Axes such as this one would have been used primarily for clearing woodland and for shaping timber but would also have proved useful in battles. Smaller axe heads would have been used for more delicate woodworking and other activities, such as butchering and hide-scraping. Weaponry such as axe heads were also buried with the deceased, hence their frequent occurrence in archaeological excavations of ancient cemeteries.
To discover more about Celtic culture, please visit our relevant blog post: Bronze Age Britain.
