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

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(Plates 5.19; 5.20a, b). The collective series of wood- <strong>and</strong> stone-working tools <strong>from</strong> this<br />

hoard is hardly devoid of functionality, <strong>and</strong> as such, <strong>the</strong> hoarded A<strong>the</strong>nian tools are poor<br />

c<strong>and</strong>idates for <strong>the</strong> furnace. The ax fragments <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> A<strong>the</strong>nian hoard resemble a double<br />

ax <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> Kalydon cache (Plate 5.21), which is broken at <strong>the</strong> shaft hole <strong>and</strong> sharp at <strong>the</strong><br />

blade edge. 638<br />

The stub of one shaft-hole side bends slightly backwards. This bowed<br />

sidewall is atypical <strong>and</strong> is <strong>the</strong> result of a conscious alteration of <strong>the</strong> tool. The blade<br />

fragment could have been utilized secondarily as a wedge.<br />

Both deficient <strong>and</strong> intact tools make up <strong>the</strong> repertoire of <strong>the</strong> An<strong>the</strong>don hoard<br />

639<br />

(Plate 5.22). Knives—14 complete <strong>and</strong> fragmentary examples—are <strong>the</strong> prevalent<br />

implement of <strong>the</strong> assemblage. 640 Intentional manipulation is plausible for <strong>the</strong> two double<br />

ax halves <strong>from</strong> An<strong>the</strong>don, for <strong>the</strong>y bear jagged marks on <strong>the</strong>ir broken sidewalls,<br />

particularly clear on one double ax (NM 18180; Plate 5.23). The recently discovered<br />

Thebes Arsenal hoard consisted of small pieces of scrap, a few objects partially melted<br />

toge<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>and</strong> a mixture of complete <strong>and</strong> fragmentary implements. 641<br />

Nearly all of <strong>the</strong>se<br />

tools were still serviceable, even <strong>the</strong> broken ones, making <strong>the</strong>m unlikely to be sent to <strong>the</strong><br />

furnace despite <strong>the</strong> scrap with which <strong>the</strong>y were found.<br />

named.<br />

Of all <strong>the</strong> Mediterranean hoards, <strong>the</strong> Enkomi Foundry cache seems most aptly<br />

642<br />

Signs of metallurgical activity included a plethora of smith tools, ingot<br />

fragments, scrap metal, <strong>and</strong> objects partially melted toge<strong>the</strong>r. Yet this metalworking<br />

material should not affect <strong>the</strong> functional interpretation of <strong>the</strong> fragmentary (narrow chisels,<br />

638<br />

Kalydon hoard references: Mastrokostas 1965, 343-344; Knapp, Muhly, <strong>and</strong> Muhly 1988.<br />

639<br />

An<strong>the</strong>don hoard references: Rolfe 1890; Catling 1964, 296-297; Spyropoulos 1972, 57-62.<br />

640<br />

For a photograph of <strong>the</strong> An<strong>the</strong>don knives with <strong>the</strong> entire hoard, see Spyropoulos 1972, plate 17.<br />

641<br />

For <strong>the</strong> Thebes Arsenal hoard: see comments in footnote 572.<br />

642<br />

For Enkomi Foundry hoard references: Schaeffer 1952; Catling 1964, 278-281; Matthäus <strong>and</strong><br />

Schumacher-Matthäus 1986, 173-174.<br />

275

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