Abstract

On the small island of Lambay off the east coast of Ireland, a new stone axehead quarry site dating to the Neolithic period has been identified. This arose out of the broader research programme of the Irish Stone Axe Project. Axeheads of a medium-grained volcanic rock, porphyritic andesite (porphyry) are of local importance in the eastern part of Ireland. It had been previously suggested that Lambay was a possible source of these axes. Survey and on-going excavation has led to the recognition of a quarry site on the island. Radiocarbon dates and cultural material indicate a date in the mid-fourth millennium BC. While quarry production seems to have been relatively small-scale, the site has much wider significance for the interpretation of the role of stone axeheads in the Neolithic for a number of reasons. It is the first axe quarry site recognised in either Ireland or Britain for medium- or course-grained lithologies, with primary working by pecking and hammering. All the other known sites are for fine-grained lithologies, with primary working by flaking. In contrast to other stone axehead quarry sites all stages of production, including grinding and polishing were carried out on-site. When polished porphyry has a spectacular colour and this seems to have been a major factor in the choice of this lithology. Alongside the quarrying activity there were a series of deliberate, structured deposits placed in the ground. In these deposits there is a strong emphasis on different materials and different colours that seem to refer to the wider landscape of the island.