The Border of Farming and the Cultural Markers - Nordlige Verdener

68
The Shetland axeheads (almost all stray
finds) were examined and summarily
characterized by Ritchie (1992). He notes
that the Shetland axeheads are generally
considerably larger (in several cases
with lengths of 200-300 mm) than the
axeheads from, for example, Orkney, and
that felsite axeheads are generally considerably
larger than pieces in Cumbrian
tuff or Antrim porcellanite. They are also
usually neatly finished. He states that
‘… the purpose of the Shetland axeheads
in general poses questions. Such
information as is presently available
shows that [Shetland was] typified by
birch-hazel scrub, and one wonders why
early Shet-landers needed such large
axeheads. Apart from being large, many
of the Shetland axeheads are very well
made, sometimes with splayed cutting
edges. They show little or no sign of use
and give the impression of being ceremonial
or prestige pieces’.
The latter may be an over-generalization,
as some of the smaller felsite axeheads
are obviously functional implements.
Particularly small adzes seem to be
functional pieces, being not only smaller
and less elegantly shaped/finished, but
also occasionally with marks from use.
An assemblage from Lagan Tormore at
Sullom Voe (presently being processed;
Ballin forthcoming [LT rep]) includes two
intact adzes, as well as several other
felsite implements and various froms of
felsite waste (some probably from adjusting
the adzes’ butts for haft-ing). The
author characterized the two objects in
the following way (ibid.):
‘In functional terms, both pieces are
adzes (L = 118 mm and 136 mm), and
they were hafted with their workingedge
at a perpendicular angle to the
axe-shaft. This is indicated by their
cross-section (plano-convex), edge-shape
Fig. 5; Adze from
the stores of
Shetland Museum
– the axeheads
from Laggan Tormore
belong to
this formal category.
Courtesy of
Ian Tait, Shetland
Museum.