Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
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Unique ID: NMGW-CF16C3
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
Middle Bronze Age copper alloy looped palstave probably dating to c. 1400-1275 BC.
The palstave is complete and has an overall length of 124.85mm. The butt is straight, with a width of 19.76mm and is comparatively thick with a thickness of 5.6mm. The sides are straight and parallel as far as the blade and have a width of 22.7mm. Casting seams are evident on both sides and have been finished. The loop is intact and is a little irregular with a length of 22.32mm (4.72mm internal), a height of 8.30mm and a thickness of 7.49mm. The flanges begin from the septum, before the butt and reach their maximum height (25.94mm) a little before the stop. The septum is concave and has a maximum length of 49mm. The stops are undercut and are straight with rounded corners. The stops have an internal width of 16.3mm (22mm width at the stop) and are 11.7mm high. The stops are raised (5-6mm) above the level of the blade. The blade sides are gradually divergent to the position of the blade facet, where they out-turn to produce a moderately expanded blade with a surviving width of 54.57mm (damage to blade tips). The blade facets begin 11mm from the curving blade edge. The blade is decorated with a high and prominent mid-rib, flanked on each side by a weaker and shorter curving rib. The palstave weighs 273.7g. The surface of the palstave is generally poorly preserved and has been lost on one face. Where the surface survives, the bronze has a black patina, elsewhere the bronze is pale green.
Notes:
The palstave is a Low-flanged (broad-blade), Group III palstave, probably a variant of either Type Sleaford or Type Carleton, with flanges which begin from the septum and curve to their highest point before the stop. The blade sides are curved to an expanded blade, with uncertain blade tip treatment. The decoration on the face is unusual where the mid-rib is flanked by weaker curving ribs, which may be considered to be a variant of the flange extensions, common on Type Sleaford. 'Low Flanged' palstaves belong to Taunton metalworking stage (1400-1275 cal. BC; Needham et al. 1997), corresponding to Cemmaes metalworking in Wales. Taunton metalwork falls within Needham's (1996) Period 5, dated to 1,500 - 1,150BC.
This has been noted as an interesting find by the recorder.
Class: Gr.III Low-flanged
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod to: Middle
Period to: BRONZE AGE
Date from: Circa 1400 BC
Date to: Circa 1275 BC
Quantity: 1
Length: 124.85 mm
Width: 54.57 mm
Weight: 273.7 g
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st August 2005
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference: NMGWPA 2005.140.1
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
4 Figure: SS9868
Four figure Latitude: 51.401828
Four figure longitude: -3.467704
1:25K map: SS9868
1:10K map: SS96NE
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Needham, S.P. | 1996 | Chronology and periodisation in the British Bronze Age | Copenhagen | Wiley | |||
Needham, S.P., Bronk Ramsay, C., Coombs, D., Cartwright, C., & Petitt, P., | 1997 | An independent chronology for British Bronze Age metalwork: the results of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Programme | York | Archaeology Journal |