What Is The Irish Stone Axe Project?

This project was set up in 1990 by Gabriel Cooney and Eoin Grogan and developed from their interest and research on the potential for stone axe studies in interpreting and understanding Irish pre- history.
It includes work on geography and geological studies in Ireland.
For many years, stone axes have been recognised as a major artefact in Irish pre-history and the material culture of the time. However until 1990 little work had been done on the study of these artefacts which brought together data from contextual, morphological and petrological evidence.
Kinnes has said that stone axes are the most 'visible and resilient part of the archaeological record'..
In Ireland the use of stone axes begins in the Mesolithic but the main production and use of them is in the Neolithic between 4000-2500BC and continues into the Bronze Age.
The data can be used to plot trade routes and can be compared and contrasted with the British stone axe production sites such as Penmaenmawr in North Wales.