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Langdale Axe Factory

Some Axe Factory Questions

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rockartwolf R
rockartwolf Aug 13, 2007 20:25:43
Replying to FourWinds

FourWinds wrote:
Do you have a reference for the Antrim axe finds, please?

It's interesting that you mention beach sites. The axes from Tievebulliagh were only roughed out at the quarry, but were taken to the beach to be finished. Old habits dying hard?

I have been looking through a 1966 book, by Jack G Scott, the Regional Archaeologies of South West Scotland. It is fairly detailed covering from the mesolithic through to the iron age.

It does seem that a number of rough outs were also found around the Luce Bay area, perhaps showing some trading taking place.
A number of jadeite axe heads were found around Luce Bay, Wigtown Bay and Kirkcudbright Bay.

Are you thinking that there perhaps might be some possible long lost axe factory, maybe somewhere in the Galloway hills, on the trade route from Strathclyde down to Galloway?

Brian

F FourWinds
FourWinds Aug 13, 2007 21:00:31
Replying to rockartwolf

rockartwolf wrote:
Are you thinking that there perhaps might be some possible long lost axe factory, maybe somewhere in the Galloway hills, on the trade route from Strathclyde down to Galloway?

Brian

I'm not sure. There does seem to be gaps in the story that I've gathered so far. This bit is a diversion from what I'm really after, though :-)

I was originally looking at the trade links between Scotland and Ireland, after reading of the large number of Antrim axes found in Aberdeenshire. There are a number of papers out there on this, but I have only found a few extracts so far. The Clyde is an obvious link, but with the Carlingford/Clyde Tomb category no longer being accepted as a group it's playing a bit of a game. There were obvious trade links and yet the archaeo bods seem to want to strip away another link by splitting the tomb category. Most confusing and I'm trying to get my head around it. Early days yet, which is why I'm after loadsa sources.