Stone Hammers of Ananyino Cultural and Historical Area

Abstract

The paper addresses the origin, chronology and use of stone hammers of the Ananyino Cultural and Historical Area. Stone hammers were commonly used in the pre-Scythian period across the steppe zone of Eastern Europe and in the North Caucasus. Two categories of these items were spread in the territory of the Ananyino Cultural and Historical Area - equal-arm hammers and axe-hammers. The paper features evidence of local manufacture of axe-hammers, whereas such evidence is presently not available for equal-arm hammers. Placing hammers in burials next to weapons and depicting them on steles in the same position as military metal axes and socketed axes make it possible to be attribute them to weapons. The existence period of stone hammers has been determined within a wide range of the 9th – first half of the 7th enturies BC, and within a narrow range of the mid-8th – first quarter/first half of the 7th century BC.