MACE

Part of a perforated stone mace head or pebble hammer. It was broken in antiquity irregularly through the shaft hole, which is cylindrical and approximately 12 - 15mm in diameter. The shaft hole has been drilled from each side, meeting about halfway across, with the second bore slightly misaligned. The stone is heavily weathered and pitted, as well as cracked. It is almost lozenge shaped in section and a pointed oval in plan. The stone is probably quartzite and is a light yellow grey colour.

An important clue to its age is given by the fact that the shaft hole is drilled and not pecked (which gives an hour glass shaped perforation), implying the use of a metal drill, probably of copper or bronze, and using sand as an abrasive. This dates production at its earliest to the Early or Middle Bronze Age, which is confirmed by the discovery of similar examples in association with Bronze Age contexts (compare NMS-634A82).