Axe with a handle

The deer antler axe and the roe deer antler used as a handle were discovered in a peat bog near Krzecko, the Świdwin district, together with a deer antler axe of a different type. The raw material was the antler of an adult, healthy male deer, while the handle was made from the antler of probably an old and weak animal, as evidenced by the undeveloped antler and the thin, brittle outer layer, the so-called compacta. In both cases, there are no roses, parts of the antler directly adjacent to the skull, so it is impossible to determine whether the raw material for the axe and shaft came from hunted animals or drops. The production of both objects required softening the antlers and breaking off the desired fragments preceded by appropriate incisions. The axe bears evident traces of use on its blade and point, in the form of breaks in the compact and smoothing of the surface, while the handle bears visible defects in the place where it came into contact with the hatchet. According to archival records, the axe was set on the handle at the time of discovery. Practical tests carried out as part of experimental archaeology have shown that an axe with such a handle is very uncomfortable in use.

Michał Adamczyk