This beautiful bronze axe on display in The Louvre Abu Dhabi is a loan from Al Ain National Museum and dates to the Iron Age (1000-600 BCE). Several similar axes have been found throughout the country, but this is a truly outstanding example of the metal-working traditions, technology and unique Iron Age culture of the UAE.
The axe was cast from copper, probably mixed with a small amount of tin. The copper comes from the Al Hajjar mountains, located just east of Al Ain. Throughout the ancient history of the UAE, these mountains were a major source of this precious metal and fueled an innovative metal-working tradition. As far back as 2300 BCE, the inhabitants of the UAE mined and supplied this copper to Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and the rest of the Arabian Gulf. At that time, the country was called ‘Magan’ and it was an international hub for industry and commerce.
The superb craftsmanship and delicate form of this axe is a result of this long tradition of metal working. It was clearly a special object and was probably not used for everyday activities. Other weapons produced during this period include arrowheads, short daggers and swords. Many examples of these weapons are known from various sites in the UAE and some were certainly used in warfare. We will feature one of these in an upcoming article.
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