Six experiments to understand the use of stone battle-axes and axe-hammers from northern Britain and the Isle of Man through experimental archaeology and use-wear analysis

A combined approach of use-wear analysis and experimental archaeology can be highly beneficial when assessing the functionalities and itineraries of artefacts and has huge potential for analysis of bladed ground and polished stone artefacts. Despite this, their application to bladed ground and polished stone artefacts is limited. The function of bladed ground stone artefacts, such as British and Manx Early Bronze Age (EBA) ground and polished stone battle-axes and axe-hammers, are often based on form and the damage which is visible macroscopically. This approach can lead to productive hypotheses, but only when methods are devised which can test such propositions. This paper presents the first application of experimental archaeology combined with use-wear analysis to question the non-functional hypotheses of northern British and Manx battle-axes and axe-hammers. Successful comparison with the archaeological records was enabled by analysis of use-wear development throughout the experiments. The experiments included chopping and splitting wood, land clearance and animal slaughter. The research determines that these implements were utilitarian tools, which could be used easily when hafted correctly. As such, the application of the experimental and use-wear methodology created a reference collection of use-wear formations which can be comparable to other types of bladed stone tools and has been used to successfully infer the function of the archaeological assemblage of battle-axes and axe-hammers.