This episode of Things We Threw Away examines how objects can outlast their original meanings and acquire new identities over time. Jona and Stefanie discuss anachronistic objects, artefacts reinterpreted long after their creation, through the example of the Hammer of Saint Martin, a medieval Christian relic made around a prehistoric axehead.
The conversation follows the axe’s journey from a Bronze Age tool to a sacred medieval object, addressing themes of material reuse, mythological reinterpretation, and object biography. It combines archaeological perspectives with reflections from a museum visit, including approaches to drawing and documenting artefacts, and considers how meaning is continually redefined through human engagement with the material past.
Image 1: On the definition of anachronistic objects, also showing the non-linearity of the Hammer of Saint Martin as an example.
Image 2: Looking again closer at the serpentinite, its texture and colouring.
Image 3: A message between Stefanie and Jona, and the categories presented by Knight et al. 2019
Image 4: The background of the thunderstones, and how they looked – basically prehistoric stone objects.
Image 5: Looking at Saint Martin – the man and the legend, as well as the celebrations of this saint today.
Further References
on the Hammer of Saint Martin: see the references from episode three
Hunebed Nieuwscafé. 2023. ‘Donderbijlen: stenen hamer als bescherming tegen de bliksem in de nok van een schuur van de Dreyerschen Hof in Banteln, Duitsland’. Hunebed Nieuwscafé, 2023-01.
Yarrow, T. 2015. Archaeology, anthropology and the stuff of time. Archaeological Dialogues 22(1): 31–36.
Knight, M. G., Boughton, D. & Wilkinson, R. E. (eds) 2019. Objects of the Past in the Past: Investigating the Significance of Earlier Artefacts in Later Contexts. Oxford: Archaeopress. ISBN 9781789692488
Harman, G. & Witmore, C. 2023. Objects Untimely: Object-Oriented Philosophy and Archaeology. Cambridge: Polity Press. ISBN 9781509556540.
Guillot, S. & Hattori, K. 2013. Serpentinites: essential roles in geodynamics, arc volcanism, sustainable development, and the origin of life. Elements 9(2): 95-98.
Image references
Image 1
The hammer in the vitrine: image taken by Stefanie Ulrich
The Hammer of Saint Martin by Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23822667
Image 2
By James St. John - Chromitic serpentinite (Kraubath Complex; Sommergraben, Murz River Valley area, Styria Province, Austria), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34893163
By Hermann Hammer (User:Haneburger) - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20747151
For the serpentinite map (Figure 1 in Guillot & Hattori):
“See Figure 1 showing serpentinite occurrences on the seafloor and continents (Guillot & Hattori 2013, fig. 1).”
Image 3
Screenshot taken by Jona Schlegel on 03.04.2025
Book cover of Knight, M. G., Boughton, D. & Wilkinson, R. E. (eds) 2019. Objects of the Past in the Past: Investigating the Significance of Earlier Artefacts in Later Contexts. Oxford: Archaeopress. ISBN 9781789692488
Image 4
By José-Manuel Benito Álvarez (España) —> Locutus Borg - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1927194
By Joanbanjo - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36548468
By The Portable Antiquities Scheme/ The Trustees of the British Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55909228
For the “stenen hamer” illustration:
“Image of a stone hammer used as protection against lightning in the roof ridge of a barn at the Dreyerschen Hof, Banteln, Germany (Hunebed Nieuwscafé 2023).”
Image 5
By Simone Martini - The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=154865
By Anthony van Dyck - http://balat.kikirpa.be/object/15511, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=121337193
Credits
Intro and outro music: “Meeting for Two – Background Music for Video Vlog (Hip Hop version, 43s)” via Pixabay Music by White_Records
Research behind the script: Jona Schlegel
Editing and post-production: Jona Schlegel
Cover art: Stefanie Ulrich
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Projects by the team members
Jona Schlegel
Follow on Instagram (@archaeoink): Visual science communication through illustration, websites and archaeology
jonaschlegel.com: Portfolio and background on archaeological communication, coding, and design
archaeoink.com: Illustrated archaeology, blog posts, newsletter, and research-based visual storytelling
pastforwardhub.com: A platform for (freelance) archaeologists who want to create a more sustainable career, be visible, and connect with others
Stefanie Ulrich
Follow on Instagram (@thepublicarchaeologist): Photography of archaeological objects, and material encounters with a special focus on ancient Rom
