Hittite Empire, modern-day Turkey, ca. 1600 to 1200 BCE. This is an iron axe head that was cast in an open mold and is heavy and flat; it is divided into two parts by lugs that curve gracefully outwards from the blade section. Although these forms are colloquially called axes, they may also have been used, attached to a perishable handle, as chisels or adzes. How exactly they were hafted remains a matter of debate -- the most common hypothesis is that they were inserted into a slit in a piece of wood. Molds for these axes have been found by archaeologists at the important Hittite site of Kültepe in central Turkey. A similar example is in Rachel Maxwell-Hyslop's seminal work, Daggers and Swords in Western Asia: A Study from Prehistoric Times to 600 B.C. Comes with custom stand. Size: 2.1" W x 7.5" H (5.3 cm x 19 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Estate of John Piscopo. Mr. Piscopo was one of the largest collectors of ancient weapons in the US with a collection that spanned all cultures, all ages.

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