Muroma axes

Axes are the most frequent type of male funeral offerings at Muroma flatcemeteries. The number of discovered axes is 257, they are all divided into seven maintypes, with subtypes identified within each group: 1) socketed celts (Fig. 3, 1-4); 2) battlechekan axes (Fig. 4, 1-7); 3) battle (or ceremonial) chekans with a trapezoidal blade anda narrow plated prominent part at the heel of the butt (Fig. 5, 1, 2); 4) a broad-bladed axewith the blade that stretches downward, two pairs of side cheeks and an elongated cuttingbutt; 5) broad-bladed axes, with the blade extending downward, the straight upper edgeand two pairs of side cheeks on the lower part of the butt (Fig. 5, 4, 5); 6) bladed axeswith the blade that stretches downward and two pairs of side cheeks on both sides of thebutt (Fig. 5, 3; 6, 1); 7) narrow-bladed wedge-shaped axes (Fig. 6, 2-4). In most knowncases the position of the axes in the graves was near the area where, supposedly, the beltwas located.