Bronze chisel
Χ559
Metal (Bronze)
Intact
Length: 31 cm.Width: 3.8 cm. (cutting edge)
Gournia
Settlement
Late Bronze Age. Neopalatial period.:
1700 - 1450 BC:
Gallery:
VICase:
55Exhibition thematic unit:
Late Bronze Age - Neopalatial period (1700-1450 BC). Private and public life. Bread and circusesHome handicrafts - Crafts
Description
Large bronze chisel. This type of chisel is considered advanced and is the most popular in the Neopalatial period. The cutting edge bears marks of use. The shank is extremely thin and would be difficult to use without damaging it, so it was probably hafted with some sort of handle, perhaps wooden, although no traces of it remain. Chisels were tools of general use, among the most common implements in Minoan workshops, found in a variety of shapes and sizes. The various chisel types indicate their specialised use for different purposes, to work stone, wood, metal or other materials. This particular example was found in Room F18 of the town of Gournia together with three other chisels of various types, a saw and a double axe, perhaps part of a carpenter’s toolkit.Bibliography:
Evely, R.D.G. Minoan Crafts: Tools and Techniques. An Introduction. Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology 92.1. G?teborg, 1993, 8.Author:
E. S.Photographs' metadata