Rights Holder: West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service
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Unique ID: SWYOR-B5D034
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age stone battleaxe (larger examples are also known as axe hammers) dating from about 3300 BC - 1000 BC.The body is broadly egg-shaped, tapering to a blunt point at one end, and a narrow rounded butt at the other. The sides are convex. The two main faces are very slightly dished but are much flatter than some published examples, which can be markedly concave. There is a large circular perforation of 28mm diameter through the tool. The perforation is convex rather that hour-glass shaped, and only slightly so. The blade of the axe-hammer is on the same alignment (vertical) as the perforation. Measurements are; length 132.7mm, width 49.6mm, thickness 44.5mm and weight 486g.
The surface of the stone is a buff yellow colour. It is extremely smooth, probably polished, and has just a few scratches. The material is fine grained, quartz rich, with some probable mica and shiny black rounded specks (perhaps black iron ore). The scratches are only shallow, but in one area, the surface layer has flaked off, probably as a result of post-depositional damage, to reveal another layer below. The core material is dark grey, quartz rich, with some flat shiny particles and occasional dark red grains. The surface layer varies in thickness from 1-3mm. This layering effect is probably a product of weathering and the geochemistry of the soil affecting the outer surface, which was then removed by damage in one area leaving an unweathered surface visible.
The implement is broadly similar to CORN-70CDC7, IOW-DEFCA1 and CORN-BA3487. Larger and less precisely shaped examples are usually classed as axe-hammers and thought to have been used in mining or agriculture. Examples include WMID-42A930, CORN-D742B5 and CPAT-6FCE17.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: NEOLITHIC
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: BRONZE AGE
Date from: Circa 3300 BC
Date to: Circa 1000 BC
Quantity: 1
Length: 132.7 mm
Width: 49.6 mm
Thickness: 44.5 mm
Weight: 486 g
Date(s) of discovery: Friday 1st January 2021 - Friday 31st December 2021
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Other reference: PAS form number 3794
Primary material: Stone
Manufacture method: Hand made
Completeness: Complete
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.