NARC-181793: Neolithic or Bronze Age Mace Head of Red Deer Antler

Rights Holder: Northamptonshire County Council
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MACE

Unique ID: NARC-181793

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Published

A Neolithic or Bronze Age macehead, carved from the basal area of a red deer (Cervus elaphus) antler. The porous core of the antler has been removed, so as to form a hollow cylinder that could easily be hafted to a handle. A large transverse hole (diameter 24.9mm)has been bored through the antler beam, so that it crosses the hollowed out core, and emerges through the cortex on the other face. This perforation is almost perfectly circular, and must have been done with a purpose-made tool. Notably, the edges of the perforation are smooth, relatively sharp, and show no evidence of wear. The area that would have formed the burr (basal area) of the antler has been polished through use, and there are also a number of small chips and indentations in this area, indicating use as a hammer. The object is 90.9mm long, with an oval section measuring 75.1mm x 46.3mm. It weighs 257g.

Find of note status

This has been noted as an interesting find by the recorder.

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: NEOLITHIC
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: NEOLITHIC
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: BRONZE AGE
Date from: 2500 BC
Date to: 1500 BC

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 90.9 mm
Width: 75.1 mm
Thickness: 46.3 mm

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st January 1990

Personal details

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Materials and construction

Primary material: Animal skeletal material
Manufacture method: Cut

Spatial metadata

Region: East Midlands (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Northamptonshire (County)
District: South Northamptonshire (District)
Parish or ward: Wicken (Civil Parish)

Spatial coordinates

4 Figure: SP7537
Four figure Latitude: 52.026354
Four figure longitude: -0.908296
1:25K map: SP7537
1:10K map: SP73NE
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

References cited

No references cited so far.

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Timeline of associated dates

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Audit data

Recording Institution: NARC
Created: 16 years ago
Updated: 9 years ago

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