The Axe and the Why: A research into the occurrence of metrological systems and metric patterns within Early Bronze Age axe hoards of central Europe

During the Early European Bronze Age many axes fabricated out of metal were exchanged over great distances. When an exchange takes place, the value of the object that is subject to the exchange has to be determined in order to get something that is equally valuable in return. This research focuses on the question whether Early Bronze Age axes contain specific perceptible characteristics that could have functioned as a recognisable marker for a specific value. Metric data of 447 axes that were deposited in twelve Early- and Middle Bronze Age hoards in Austria, Germany, Poland and Switzerland (central Europe) are used to see if there are patterns observable in metric characteristics of the axes that could have been used to establish value. By using Weber’s Law, a law in the field of psychophysics that can be used to calculate the perceptible difference or equality of objects, it will be possible to establish whether differences in weight and length between different axes are...Show moreDuring the Early European Bronze Age many axes fabricated out of metal were exchanged over great distances. When an exchange takes place, the value of the object that is subject to the exchange has to be determined in order to get something that is equally valuable in return. This research focuses on the question whether Early Bronze Age axes contain specific perceptible characteristics that could have functioned as a recognisable marker for a specific value. Metric data of 447 axes that were deposited in twelve Early- and Middle Bronze Age hoards in Austria, Germany, Poland and Switzerland (central Europe) are used to see if there are patterns observable in metric characteristics of the axes that could have been used to establish value. By using Weber’s Law, a law in the field of psychophysics that can be used to calculate the perceptible difference or equality of objects, it will be possible to establish whether differences in weight and length between different axes are perceptibly observable or not, and whether the weights of the axes can conforms to metrological systems based on different units of weight. The statistic visualisation programme SPSS is used to visualize the collected data in the shape of boxplots and histograms. The data is compared with known metrological systems dated in later periods in different regions. Patterns in weight distribution of axes based on metrological units of 10 g and 25 g have been recognized in hoards dated at the end of the Early Bronze Age and the Middle Bronze Age. Based on these results it is possible to state that the attitude towards the value of axes changed. Axes did not longer only contain exchange- and utility value (Early Bronze Age), but also commodity value (Middle Bronze Age).Show less

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The Axe and the Why: A research into the occurrence of metrological systems and metric patterns within Early Bronze Age axe hoards of central Europe