axe

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Object Type
Museum number: 123278
Description: Socketed arsenical copper ceremonial axe-head; cast in a piece mould as indicated by flash-mark along the underside of the blade; two registers of overlapping scalloped decoration around the edge of the blunt crescentic blade; further scalloping at top and bottom of the shaft-hole; raised oval eyes on either side of the shaft-hole; rounded and blunt blade edge; small rivet hole below the eye on one side, to enable the attachment of this object to its haft.
Cultures/periods
Production date: 2000BC (about)
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot: Khinaman, cemetery
Materials
Technique
Dimensions: Diameter: 1.20 - 3 centimetres (of socket); Height: 12.50 centimetres; Weight: 334 grammes; Width: 15 centimetres
Curator's comments: Closely paralleled by examples excavated at Shahdad; a seal impression from Susa, dating to 1950BC-1900BC, shows a similar axe being presented to an official by a king of Shimashki, in eastern Iran.; Sykes (writing from Meshed in Iran) to C.H. Read, 14/11/12 (letter in MLA correspondence): "Re the collection of bronzes, I will leave the question until I come home next year when I can hand them over to you, keeping one or two or copies thereof for myself. I fortunately have a photo here of the original axehead & also of another wh[ich] I subsequently obtained. It belonged to the same find. Did I not show it to you? It is more interesting than the first. Please return me the photo & I should like a copy of your paper re the new axehead. Have you been able to date it? I will certainly look you up next year & consider that the bronzes are more suitable for the British Museum than for a private collection". Further correspondence on this collection dated 8/1/14, 20/5/14, 4/1/14, 24/1/14 (thanking for receipt of casts of axes), mid-April 1914, 5/2/15, 9/2/15. The casts were eventually presented by Sykes to the BM (= 1934,0312.5 ).
Bibliographic references: Herzfeld E E 1941a / Iran in the Ancient East: archaeological studies presented in the Lowell lectures at Boston (p. 131, fig. 248: [top centre]); Rostovtzeff M 1922a / Iranians and Greeks in South Russia (pl.11E); Curtis J 1988a / A reconsideration of the cemetery at Khinaman, south-east Iran (pp. 102, 104, fig. 2, pl. Ib); Maxwell-Hyslop R 1988a / A comment on the finds from Khinaman (p. 133 ff.); Curtis 1989a / Ancient Persia (p. 11, fig. 7: bottom); Simpson 2012a / Afghanistan. A Cultural History (pp.20-21)
Location: On display (G52/dc1)
Exhibition history: Exhibited: G2/77, from 13 Apr-Dec 2006. G52/IRAN/2/16, from official opening 17/11/95-5/12/2005. G49/IRAN, 16 Jun-23 Dec 1994.
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1913
Acquisition notes: Correspondence in MLA on this collection, dated 14/11/12, 8/1/14, 20/5/14, 4/1/14, 24/1/14 (thanking for receipt of casts of axes), mid-April 1914, 5/2/15, 9/2/15.
Department: Middle East
BM/Big number: 123278
Registration number: 1913,1229.10

Free entry

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