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Product Description
Dating back to the Iron Age of the ancient Near East, this is a very well-preserved iron FIGHTING INFANTRY AXE. It would have been mounted on a wooden handle and worn on the belt of an infantry soldier of the period. Axes were close combat weapons that produced devastating, fatal results on lightly or unarmored enemies. When the fighting got too close to wield a spear or sword, striking weapons such as the axe and mace were employed. Since bronze survives the ravages of time much better than iron, iron ancient weaponry is especially scarce, making this an important collection addition for those who fancy ancient militaria.
This piece has been professionally cleaned and conserved in our lab, being treated with a special sealer specifically for ancient metal preservation. Untreated or improperly conserved ancient iron is extremely unstable and will deteriorate over time, especially in any environments with humidity.
WARNING: There is an ALARMING number of fake ancient artifacts on the market. As fine quality intact, original specimens become more scarce, techniques become more sophisticated to fake these objects. In our lab, we have personally handled numerous extremely well-done forgeries with convincing patinas that could fool most experts. The degree to which the fakers have been able to replicate patina to disguise their work requires an expert examination by highly experienced individuals. Like all rare collectibles, fakes plague the market.
We process every piece we offer to a full analysis, cleaning and conservation process in our on-site lab. How many dealers do this or have any experience in operating their own lab? The procedure we put each piece through is the same as the best museums perform on their own collections. Most dealers lack such knowledge and experience as this, to accurately identify fake and altered ancient objects. Deal only with sources that are extremely knowledgeable in forgeries and altered pieces, and get a written guarantee of authenticity that has no conditions or expiration period. We include this guarantee in writing with every item we sell.
HISTORY
The Iron Age in the ancient Near East is considered to last from c. 1200 BC (the Bronze Age collapse) to c. 550 BC (or 539 BC), roughly the beginning of historiography with Herodotus, marking the end of the proto-historical period. The Iron Age (c. 1200 – c. 550 BC) is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Copper Age and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progressing to proto-history (before written history). In this usage, it is preceded by the Stone Age (subdivided into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic) and Bronze Age. These concepts originated for describing Iron Age Europe and the ancient Near East.
The ancient Near East was home to many cradles of civilization, spanning Mesopotamia, the Levant, Egypt, Iran, Anatolia and the Armenian highlands, and the Arabian Peninsula. As such, the fields of ancient Near East studies and Near Eastern archaeology are one of the most prominent with regard to research in the realm of ancient history. Historically, the Near East denoted an area roughly encompassing the center of West Asia, having been focused on the lands between Greece and Egypt in the west and Iran in the east. It therefore largely corresponds with the modern-day geopolitical concept of the Middle East.
The history of the ancient Near East begins with the rise of Sumer in the 4th millennium BC, though the date that it ends is a subject of debate among scholars; the term covers the region's developments in the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, and is variously considered to end with either the establishment of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BC, the establishment of the Macedonian Empire in the 4th century BC, or the beginning of the early Muslim conquests in the 7th century AD.