Tag: Bronze Age

Were South Wales Type Socketed Axeheads being made in Bronze Age Surrey?

Posted on by smaslin

This curious looking copper alloy object, recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme as SUR-9302E5, has a lopsided convex subrectangular body, four tapering projections and a rough, unworked surface. It is called a casting jet and comprises a solidified lump of the metal retained in the opening (gate) and channels of a two-piece stone mould, which has been trimmed away from the finished object following production. Similar waste products can be the result of non-ferrous metalworking in many periods, but this characteristic sub-conical shape with projecting runners is usually associated with the production of socketed axes of later Bronze Age date (c. 1000-700 BC). These objects can be clearly dated when recovered in hoards alongside identifiable artefacts but they can also be encountered singly or in groups of otherwise undiagnostic scrap such as that intended for recycling by itinerant metalworkers, where the dating is more indirect and problematic.

SUR-9302E5, a late Bronze Age casting jet from Fetcham, Surrey

What is unusual about this particular example is that it has four runners as opposed to the usual two, which is the much more commonly encountered form. This feature is regarded as being associated with the production of socketed axes of the South Wales (Stogursey) type, which have a distinctive rectangular mouth and used a four-runner casting process. This type is considered to be part of the Ewart Park metalworking tradition (Metalworking phase XII) corresponding to Needham’s (1996) Period 6-7 (c. 1000-700 BC) and more specifically dates to around 950 – 750 BC.

NMGW-07EA87, a Late Bronze Age bronze socketed axe of South Wales (Stogursey) type

South Wales type axeheads are, as the name suggests, most commonly found in South Wales, where this form of distinctive casting waste is known from base metal hoards as well as from stray finds. Outside of this core area, a few stone moulds and other evidence relating to production of the type are known from North West England, Cornwall and southern England, but finds relating to the type outside of Wales are rare. In the context of this distribution, the presence of this evidence for manufacture of the type in Surrey would seem to be extremely unusual. Unfortunately this object was not found in association with any other contemporary finds which could help provide further context. Although not providing definitive evidence, does this find still suggest potential extension of the distribution for this type into south eastern England – or perhaps is it better interpreted as being the result of long-distance trading of scrap metal and the travels of itinerant metal workers during the late Bronze Age? In the context of these ideas it is certainly worth highlighting that the findspot location was very close to the present day course of the River Mole within the wider Thames watershed. This may suggest both association with a likely contemporary trade route as well as the find potentially being part of a wider pattern of votive deposition associated with waterways in this area during this period.

With thanks to Adam Gwilt at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales.

Reference: Needham, S.P. 1996, Chronology and periodisation in the British Bronze Age Copenhagen: Wiley

A late Bronze Age Socketed Axehead from a Surrey Hillfort

Posted on by smaslin

Whilst the vast majority of metal objects recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (www.finds.org.uk) come from detectorists, every so often a more unusual method of discovery results in a find coming our way from people out enjoying the countryside. A good example is this socketed axehead (SUR-F51EA5) dating to the late Bronze Age (c 1100-800 BC), which was uncovered by a dog nosing around in rabbit burrows a short distance outside of the banks and ditches of Holmbury Hillfort in the southern part of central Surrey. The owner of the dog picked up the find and apparently kept it in a drawer for two years without realising its significance, before bringing it to the Surrey FLO for proper identification and recording in September 2019.

SUR-F51EA5: a late BA socketed axehead

The axehead itself is a well preserved example of its type, remaining complete aside from surface damage typical from the prolonged exposure of copper alloy surfaces to the acidic sandy soils of the area. The form is small and simple, with a short, narrow blade, a sub rectangular socket with moulded rim, single side loop and undecorated sides. There are pronounced casting ridges down each side as is typical for these mould-made objects. These types of axeheads were produced in large numbers during the Ewart Park phase of the later Bronze Age (c 900-700 BC) and continued to be used well into the subsequent beginnings of the Iron Age.

The context of discovery of this example is particularly significant from the perspective of the local archaeology. Whilst it ties in to a general picture of late Bronze Age activity on the greensand escarpment along the Wealden fringes of Surrey, the specific archaeological evidence from the nearby hillfort, most particularly the ceramic sequence, has previously suggested a late Iron Age origin for the site (Thompson, 1979; Bird and Bird, 1987), with no strong evidence for permanent settlement. Small residual quantities of late Bronze Age post Deverel Rimbury pottery, contemporary to this axehead, have also been recorded, which has provided tentative evidence for earlier origins for the site (Seager Thomas, 2010). Consequently, whilst this axehead in isolation can tell us very little in the way of specifics about the history of the site, when seen in the context of this previous evidence it becomes very important in strengthening arguments for the earlier origins of the hillfort. It quickly becomes apparent from this just how important it is to record the discovery of unusual stray finds like this to ensure that the information that they represent becomes preserved within a broader context of understanding.

The story of the discovery of this find has a happy ending. It has now been returned to the landowner, Shere Manor Estate, with the intention that it will be displayed either in a local museum or in a community space in the village. This type of outcome, where finds remain preserved and displayed within the communities and areas from which they originate is a very important one with regards to the work of the Portable Antiquities Scheme. It is only made possible through the generous actions of finders and landowners and is becoming ever more vital in a time when museum acquisition budgets are cut to the bone and the public facility to retain items of archaeological heritage is constantly challenged by the activities of both commercialised metal detecting and a booming online antiquities trade.

Bird, J and Bird D.G. 1987, The Archaeology of Surrey to 1540, Surrey Archaeological Society

Seager Thomas, M, 2010, A re-contextualisation of the prehistoric pottery from the Surrey hillforts of Hascombe, Holmbury and Anstiebury, Surrey Archaeological Collections 95

Thompson, F.H, 1979,Three Surrey Hillforts: excavations at Anstiebury, Holbury and Hascombe, 1972-1977, Antiq J, 59.