SOCKETED AXEHEAD

A complete bronze socketed axe of late Bronze Age type. 110mm in length with a blade width of c50mm and a socket measuring 28.5mm internally on the blade alignment and 31.5mm on the non-blade alignment. This axe has a large loop and pronouced socket and collar moulding. The sides of the faces diverge relatively evenly along the length towards the convex cutting edge. Both faces are plain apart from slightly expanded side or edge ribs which extend about two-thirds of the way down the blade and end at a point where a very slight transverse bevel line indicates a change in alignment of the body to the blade edge. There are two internal casting seams (Ehrenberg 1981 type 5) extending about three quarters of the way down the socket. The socket is transverse to the blade alignment (ie its longer axis is transverse to the blade).

This axe is fairly good condition but has several more recent nicks and grazes which are likely to be due to agricultural damage. It is patinated dark green/black, though some subsurface and surface corrosion is causing some slight pocking and the surface loss in places, resulting in medium green colouring. There is a series of linear grazes, mainly limited to one face, which are transverse to the cutting edge, these are probably original/old grazes. The blade edge also has one reasonably large concave area of damage which looks original with sharp angular-sectioned grazes, these original/older grazes may reflect use damage.

This axe shows a number of characteristics that are typical of axes dating to the end of the Bronze Age (LBA 4) circa 700 BC. These are much rarer than the earlier (LBA 3) socketed axes (which are frequently found in founders hoards), and are usually found complete, unlike most LBA 3 axes.