CLEAVER

A Roman iron cleaver dating to the period c. AD 43 - 410. The cleaver is of Manning's Type 2a and features a wide blade extending from the conical socket which is formed of a piece of sheet iron which has been bent around to overlap at the mouth of the socket. The socket features an ovular perforation on one side which would have housed a rivet or nail to fix the cleaver to a wooden handle. The back of the balde is straight and level and follows the line of the socket. The cutting edge is convex and features a number of old breaks. The tip of the blade is missing. The cleaver is heavily corroded.

W.H. Manning states that cleavers were probably used for butchering meat. Type 2 cleavers are the commonest type of cleaver found and is of the type usually represented as the sacrificial knife in scenes on altars. It probably continued in use throughtout the Roman period. A similar example was found at Cricklade, Wiltshire with a number of other objects including a La Tene III brooch and coins ranging in date from the early first century AD to the late third century AD. (Manning, W. H, 1989, P. 119 - 122, fig. 30, no. 2a).

The cleaver measures 212.11mm in length, 46.02mm maximum width, 6.54mm minimum width, is 6.42mm thick and weighs 136.97g. The mouth of the socket has a diameter of 21.27mm, internal diameter 15.61mm.