MINERALOGICAL AND CHEMICAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROVENANCE OF COPPER AGE POLISHED STONE AXES OF ‘LJUBLJANA TYPE’ FROM CAPUT ADRIAE* F. BERNARDINI, 1 † A. DE MIN, 2 D. LENAZ, 2 Z. KASZTOVSZKY, 3 P. TURK, 4 A. VELUŠC ˇ EK, 5 V. SZILÁGYI, 3 C. TUNIZ 1 and E. MONTAGNARI KOKELJ 6 1 The ‘Abdus Salam’ International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Multidisciplinary Laboratory, Strada Costiera, 11, 34014 Trieste, Italy 2 Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Via Weiss 8, 34127 Trieste, Italy 3 Nuclear Analysis and Radiography Department, MTA Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly Thege 29-33, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary 4 National Museum of Slovenia, Prešernova 20, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 5 Institute of Archaeology, ZRC SAZU, Novi Trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 6 Department of History and Cultures from Antiquity to Contemporary World, University of Trieste, Via Lazzaretto Vecchio 6, 34123 Trieste, Italy In this paper we show the results of a study concerning 42 axes, mainly discovered in the Copper Age pile dwellings of Ljubljansko barje (central Slovenia) and in the neighbouring areas of Caput Adriae. The studied shaft-hole axes, characterized by homogeneous typology but slightly different raw materials, have been called ‘Ljubljana-type’ axes (Lt). The raw materials show a common OIB-like signature and metamorphic and spilitization features that recall oceanic conditions. The typological and geochemical characteristics and the very high percentage of Lt axes among the polished stone axe assemblages of Ljubljansko barje suggest that the raw material was probably gathered from one or more relatively small outcrops close to Ljubljansko barje. Similar igneous rock types outcrop in the presumably Palaeozoic diabase/shale complex (Eisenkappler Diabaszug), intruded by the northern Karawanken plutonic belt. A probable provenance from this area, particularly rich in copper ore deposit, would confirm the important role of Ljubljansko barje as a metallurgical district, as well as a strong relation between lithic raw materials and Cu cultivation districts during the Copper age. KEYWORDS: SHAFT-HOLE AXES, CAPUT ADRIAE, LJUBLJANSKO BARJE, COPPER AGE, PROVENANCE INTRODUCTION Recent papers have discussed the provenance of the metadolerite, serpentinite and metabasite shaft-hole axes found in the Caput Adriae (north-eastern Italy, western Slovenia and north- western Croatia), making a contribution to the understanding of the technological and cultural changes that occurred during Neolithic and the Copper Age in this part of Europe (Bernardini et al. 2009a–c, 2011a,b, 2012). To complete the study of these artefacts, a group informally called ‘metaultramafite axes’ (Peloi 1996–7; D’Amico et al. 2001) still has to be described in detail (Bernardini et al. 2009a,c). Among the Caput Adriae axes, this group is particularly interesting because very accurate chronological information is available. In the present paper, the archaeo- logical contexts, chronology and typology of 42 axes are summarized (Table 1). Moreover, *Received 7 March 2012; accepted 5 October 2012 †Corresponding author: email bernardinifederico@hotmail.com Archaeometry 56, 2 (2014) 175–202 doi: 10.1111/arcm.12004 © 2012 University of Oxford