SOUTH WEST IMPLEMENT PETROLOGY GROUP
The Group was founded in 1936 by the South Western Federation as their Sub-Committee on the Petrological Identification of Stone Implements. Its aim was to examine the microscopic structure of the stone from which Neolithic polished axe-heads were made and match the structure to samples prepared from the sites of possible sources. Over the past 70 years of collecting data, an elaborate series of distribution patterns has been compiled and analysis has been extended to other forms and dates of artefact. It has provided a significant body of evidence of human activity in prehistory which is still growing and challenging our ideas. The purposes of the Group are: providing a service to identify the petrological materials of artefacts associated with the South West of England; caring for, developing and making accessible the reference collection of petrological samples and associated archive; initiating and implementing programmes of research; publishing and disseminating the fruits of its research. Our work is funded by our network of subscribing museums and other institutions. Membership is open to all individual people who are interested in supporting our work.
Contact: the Honorary Secretary at swimpg@swfed.org.uk
Above: Axe identified to Group VI whose source is the series of axe factories on the slopes of Great Langdale, Cumbria.Photograph by courtesy of David Dawson and the Royal Institution of Cornwall.
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