Petroarchaeological investigation of three nephrite axes from Moravia and Czech Silesia

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Authors

PŘICHYSTAL Antonín RATAJ Petr VŠIANSKÝ Dalibor

Year of publication 2023
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Přehled výzkumů
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web http://www.researchgate.net/publication/371332745_Petroarchaeological_investigation_of_three_nephrite_axes_from_Moravia_and_Czech_Silesia
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.47382/pv0641-07
Keywords Nephrite axes; Eneolithic; Moravia and Czech Silesia; natural sources; Jordanów Slaski
Description In 1989, 2002 and 2021, three axes were found in Moravia and Czech Silesia, which share a similar appearance and typology. Two of these axes (Bolatice near Opava, Hlinsko near Lipník nad Bečvou) can be dated to the Early Eneolithic (Funnel Beaker Culture), while the third (Archlebov near Ždánice) was a surface find in an area with pottery fragments corresponding to the Moravian Painted Ware Culture. The raw material used in the axes is almost macroscopically identical and has a striking mottled colour. Mineralogical methods (determination of magnetic susceptibility and density, X-ray diffraction record) were used for classification. The methods proved the raw material was nephrite with a significant presence of clinopyroxene. Our comparison with nephrite occurrences in Central Europe has shown the nephrite source at Jordanów Śląski in Polish Silesia to be the most probable source.
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