FLAT AXEHEAD

Bronze Age small cast copper alloy flat axe with a narrow butt end and a slightly flanged blade, dating from the Early Bronze Age c. 2125-1950 BC. The edge of the blade of the axe appears to be unused, and the size of the axe suggests that it might have been used for votive reasons. The colour suggests that the axe is copper-rich and the original surface survives well in places, with patches of corrosion product and a few pits, and a few marks on one face of the blade. Otherwise the axe is in good condition. Flat axes with narrow butt ends with rectangular sections and slightly flanged blades can be found during the Brithdir metalwork phase (c.2150-2000 BC) of the Early Bronze Age, such as the Class 3 axe illustrated in 'The Circulation of Metal in the British Bronze Age: The Application of Lead Isotope Analysis' (Rohl & Needham 1998, 123, fig.24, no.34). Plain axes like this are also classified as Type Migdale which belong to 'Metalworking Assemblage III', corresponding to Needham's (1996, 122) Period 2 (c.2300-2050 BC).

Schmidt & Burgess (1981) illustrate a similar small flat axe from Patrington in plate 14, no.176, which is classified as a Type Migdale flat axe.

Pearce (1983) illustrates a similar example of a slender Migdale type flat axe from Salcombe in Devon, on pages 453 & 599, plate 38, no.289.

Knight, Ormrod & Pearce (2015) illustrate the latest small, slender Migdale type of flat axe to be recorded in the South West, from Bishop's Tawton in Devon, on page 87, pl.14, no.111.

The Migdale Phase is now dated from c.2125-1950 BC (Roberts et al. 2013, p.23, fig.2.2).

References cited
◾Pearce, S.M., 1983 The Bronze Age Metalwork of South Western Britain Oxford : British Archaeological Reports , 453 & 599, plate 38 , no.289
◾ Needham, S.P., 1996 Chronology and periodisation in the British Bronze Age, 67, 122,
◾ Schmidt, P. K. and Burgess, C. B., 1981. The axes of Scotland and Northern England Munchen : C.H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung 14
◾Knight, M., Ormrod, T. and Pearce, S., 2015 The Bronze Age Metalwork of South Western Britain: A corpus of material found between 1983 and 2014 Oxford : Archaeopress, 87, pl.14 , no.111
◾Roberts, B. & Uckelmann, M. & Brandherm, D., 2013. Old Father Time: the Bronze Age Chronology of Western Europe. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 23, fig.2.2 ,