The majority of greenstone hand axes in the UK are dolerites that have often undergone mild low-grade metamorphism and are, strictly speaking, meta-dolerites.
Consideration should be given to the degree and type of secondary alteration resulting from low-grade metamorphism in the characterisation of greenstone hand axes. In a large dolerite sill this can show considerable variability, from relatively fresh material to highly altered, especially near the margins of the body.
As long as any igneous province (with dolerites) has a large enough geochemical database that covers the full variation exhibited, then chemical discrimination is a distinct possibility for sourcing stone axes.
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Last updated: Wed Jul 1 2009