Greeks and Romans, at least from the Hellenistic period onward, used Neolithic stone axeheads for apotropaic protection of buildings including villas, military structures such as barracks, temples, and kilns

The Greeks and Romans, at least from the Hellenistic period onward, used Neolithic stone axeheads for the apotropaic protection of buildings. A 1985 survey of the use of prehistoric axes in Romano-British contexts found forty examples, of which twenty-nine were associated with buildings including villas, military structures such as barracks, temples, and kilns.

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