Krzysztof Dobrzański

This work is a contribution to archaeometallurgical studies on the Únětice axes in Poland. The research was initiated by a single find of the Wrocław–Szczytniki flanged axe recovered from the village of Koperniki (Lower Silesia, Poland). The axe was examined in terms of raw–material profile (ED–XRF) as well as its micro-, and macrostructure (OM). The spatial distribution, deposition context, and raw–material profiles of the remaining Únětice axes from Central-Eastern Europe, with a special emphasis put on those recovered from the Polish land, were also juxtaposed throughout this work. It has been established that the axe from Koperniki was cast in standard Sn–bronze alloyed from so-called Eastern Alpine copper, and thus, the axe may be considered as one of the very last Wrocław–Szczytniki specimens emerging in the Odra and Vistula Basins. Although the casting was intensively plastic-worked out, the axe from Koperniki itself was not used in the past. Hence, the statement that the axe was intended to serve as a prestigious or insignia metal object rather than fulfil utilitarian functions seems reasonable. The obtained conclusions indicate that the single wet–findings of the Wrocław–Szczytniki axes (including the specimen from Koperniki) reflect indeed the aquatic hierophanies of single hoards. Furthermore, having analysed the results of the research performed we can state that the raw–material profile of some Únětice axes presents the chronological sensitivity, and thus, confirms their usability for raw-material dating, especially concerning so-called single finds.

In the present work, an archaeological and metallurgical approach were used to investigate a hammer-axe collected from Karłowice Małe, Kamiennik municipality, Nysa district, Opole voivodeship. Multicultural Neolithic relics were recovered within a 5 km of the artifact’s discovery place. However, it is difficult to apply the hammer- axe to a certain Neolithic cultural group. By means of a typological analysis, both type and relative chronology of the artifact were established. The hammer-axe belongs to a Szendrő A type and it is highly likely to be an import from the Carpathian Basin. The Szendrő hammer-axes were in circulation around the late 5th millenium to a first half of 4th millennium cal. BC. In order to establish a chemical composition of the artifact and to examine its surface in terms of macrostructural defects, the metallurgical analyses were performed. It was found that the hammer-axe was made of arsenical copper. The workmanship technique and usage traces left on its surface were recognized. The chemical composition and spatial distribution of the Szendrő hammer-axes were contrasted throughout this work in order to highlight the possible provenance of the hammer-axe from Karłowice Małe.