promoting access to White Rose research papers Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ This is an author produced version of a paper published in Wear. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/43495 Published paper Lewis, R., Tsoraki, C., Broughton, J., Cripps, J.C., Afodun, S.A., Slatter, T., Roubos, V. (2011) Abrasive and impact wear of stone used to manufacture axes in Neolithic Greece, Wear, 271 (9-10), pp. 2549-2560 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2010.12.074 White Rose Research Online
[email protected] ABRASIVE AND IMPACT WEAR OF STONE USED TO MANUFACTURE AXES IN NEOLITHIC GREECE R. Lewis1, C. Tsoraki2, J. Broughton1, J.C. Cripps3, S.A. Afodun3, T. Slatter1, V. Roubos4, 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK 2Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, UK 3Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK 4Scott Wilson Ltd, Chesterfield, UK *
[email protected] ABSTRACT Excavations at the Neolithic settlement at Makriyalos in Northern Greece brought to light a large number of stone axe heads, the majority of which were manufactured from serpentinite and igneous rocks. Detailed study of the manufacturing traces on the archaeological implements identified that both percussive (pecking) and abrasive techniques (sawing and grinding/polishing) were employed for the production of the axes. There is limited evidence, however, of how these processes may have been undertaken. The aim of this work was to build on previous research investigating sawing and polishing methods and the materials that may have been used in these tasks.