Middle and Late Bronze Age Metal Tools from the Aegean, Eastern ...

esembles a wide, double-edged knife. 252 This razor’s shape takes the form of a leaf or
tongue. On the mainland, leaf-shaped razors became obsolete by the LH IIIA period. A
second razor type subsequently originated in the 13 th century as a small cleaver-like
object, whose identification as a razor is primarily based upon the thinness of the cutting
edge. 253 As previously noted, cleavers are Mycenaean implements that are largely found
in mortuary and settlement contexts throughout the Aegean. These heavy-duty objects
were effective for chopping and first appeared in the LH IIIA early period. 254
Cleavers may have enhanced the efficiency of meat-cutting, but it is unclear what
type of cuts they were capable of making. The length of these objects generally falls
between 15-25 cm, and they do not seem as large or as thick as modern meat cleavers
(typically 30-50 cm long and blades that are 0.7 cm thick). Yet it is intriguing that so-
called cleavers are introduced at the beginning of the 14 th century when the Mycenaean
palaces came into existence. It is conceivable that the implements were standard items in
the production of large feasts sponsored by elites. Cleavers, however, are regularly found
at minor burial sites and do not have strong affiliations with palatial centers in their
distribution. Almost 70% (43 out of 62) of cleavers were recovered in burials, and it
seems that they were part of the feasting assemblage that is often found in LB IIIA
graves. Perhaps cleavers were originally utilitarian items for food preparation in feasts,
and eventually took on elements of prestige over time. If cleavers were utilized in elite
sponsored and officiated feasts, the objects were probably initially manufactured for a
very specialized clientele. The distribution of cleavers on the mainland and Crete perhaps
252 Iakovidis 1982, 223, 215.
253 Iakovidis (1982, 223) argues that the “thinness of their blades make them mostly unfit for chopping but
very suitable for shaving or trimming and cutting hair.”
254 Iakovidis 1982, 223.
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