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A Nephrite Axe from the Jeseník Museum

Basic information
Original title:A Nephrite Axe from the Jeseník Museum
Authors:Antonín Přichystal, Josef Jan Kovář, Martin Kuča
Further information
Citation:PŘICHYSTAL, Antonín, Josef Jan KOVÁŘ and Martin KUČA. A Nephrite Axe from the Jeseník Museum (A Nephrite Axe from the Jeseník Museum). Časopis Slezského zemského muzea - série B, Opava: Slezské zemské muzeum, 2012, 60/2011, No 1, p. 153-159. ISSN 0323-0627.Export BibTeX
@article{987896,
author = {Přichystal, Antonín and Kovář, Josef Jan and Kuča, Martin},
article_location = {Opava},
article_number = {1},
keywords = {Late Neolithic (Eneolithic) axe - Silesia - nephrite - non-destructive x-ray diffraction - Jordanów Śląski},
language = {eng},
issn = {0323-0627},
journal = {Časopis Slezského zemského muzea - série B},
title = {A Nephrite Axe from the Jeseník Museum},
volume = {60/2011},
year = {2012}
}
Original language:English
Field:Archaeology, anthropology, ethnology
Type:Article in Periodical
Keywords:Late Neolithic (Eneolithic) axe - Silesia - nephrite - non-destructive x-ray diffraction - Jordanów Śląski

A small stone axe (5.8 x 2.7 x 0.6 cm) from the Jeseník museum caught our attention due to the unusual raw ma-terial used. The artefact corresponds to axes from the Late Neolithic (Eneolithic) Age and probably comes from the collection of the Wrocław bishops originally deposited in the Jánský Vrch castle in Javorník. Although any localization is missing, its origin in Silesia is almost certain. Based on its appearance and magnetic susceptibil-ity measurement results, it was assumed the polished axe was made of nephrite. To prove this assumption the artefact was investigated using non-destructive x-ray diffraction (XRD) in a specially adapted apparatus. This type of determination was used in the Czech Republic for the first time. The analysis confirmed a monomineral composition represented by a monoclinic amphibole of the actinolite-tremolite group. This unique raw material naturally occurs in Jordanów Śląski - the only site in the whole of the eastern part of Central Europe. All the features of the studied axe point to its origin as being probably from the source mentioned above.

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