Ötzi’s Ax Head

The copper axe – weapon or symbol?

Ötzi’s best item was his copper axe. It is unique in being the only perfectly preserved prehistoric axe in the world. Because of the soft copper cutting edge, it was initially assumed that the axe was an emblem of rank, a status symbol of a warrior or chieftain which only the elite could carry. However, wear patterns on the axe and experiments with a reconstructed axe showed that Ötzi’s axe was capable of felling trees.

Photo taken by Don Hitchcock at the travelling exhibition of the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW Australia February 2008