Petrographic and geochemical comparison between the Copper Age “Ljubljana type” axes and similar lithotypes from Eisenkappler Diabaszug complex (southern Austria)

The petrographic and geochemical features of “Ljubljana type” axes (including Lt1-3 groups), one of the largest assemblage of Copper Age stone artefacts in the Caput Adriae region made from magmatic and metamorphosed igneous rock types, have been compared to rocks specifically sampled from the Eisenkappler Diabaszug complex (southern Austria), recently considered as the most probable provenance area. Both the axes and the geological samples show similar mineralogical and petrographic features and are characterized by a common OIB-like signature, metamorphic and spilitization features. The collected data confirm that the Lt3 group originates from one outcrop located in the eastern part of the complex while the precise provenance of the Lt1-2 axes is still to be identified in the same geological area.