Copper shaft-hole axes and early metallurgy in south-eastern Europe: an integrated approach

Although the copper axes with central shaft-hole from south-eastern Europe have a long history of research, they have not been studied on a transnational basis since the 1960s.

What has also been missing, is trying to use as many methods as possible to better understand their production, use and context.

A database was compiled to find answers to questions regarding patterns of distribution, context, fragmentation and deformation.

Aspects of production were considered through experimental archaeology, metallographic analysis and a re-discovered axe blank with missing shaft-hole.

The typology was re-evaluated and modified to ensure comparability across modern national boundaries.

The integration of these approaches yielded some interesting results.