THE EARLY AGE OF GREECE VOL.I by W.Ridgeway 1901

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THE EARLY IRON AGE IX EUROPE. 443
axes were of the same pattern as the Hallstatt palstaves with
the hiteral stops, and he inferred rightly that this type was
probably in use on Greek soil'.
It is reasonable to infer from the existence of such miniature
axes that real celts of the same type were in
actual use. For we have just seen that the
little axes found at Hallstatt are either exact
copies of local forms, or of a type which
though not actually met with on the spot
is well known over a wide adjacent area.
Modern parallels are not wanting. Thus
the little copper axe (here shown full size,
Fig. 80^) from Mitla in Mexico imitates
exactly even to its side flanges the regular
copper Aztec axes found at the same place
and all over Mexico. These little axes are
said by the Indians t(j have been used for
money, a statement which Fig. 79. Bronze
is probably quite Axe; Dodona.
true, as they represented the real axes which,
all over the world, have been one of the commonest forms of
l)ar])aric currencv. Thus in pai't of West Africa small axes,
which art' exact copies of the large
real axes there used, cii'culate in
bundles of ten-', i-ecalling the ten axes
and ten half-axes, which foi-med one
of the prizes at the funeral games of
Pati-oclus^
It is ])ossil)le that such little axes
woi'c first made as children's toys,
but late)- were found eoUM'uient fol'
monet:ary and votise pui'poses.
It is thei-efMre highly probalile that
the lit tie axes from Dodona and Hall-
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,, ,,.
l-i(.. so. Mmiutiirc Copper
statt were monetar\' tokens. Siteh A\c : M(\ic(i.
l\\ans, Hi'iiii.r liiiji/iiii('iil.-ts
to fit the Homeric culture on to the monuments of the Bronze
(' Mycenean ') Age of (Greece. For in central Europe there
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Miniature bronze axes of native types are also found in Italy, and in the
Muriay Irish Collertion at Canihridi^e tln^ie is a so