PALSTAVE

A complete copper alloy Middle Bronze Age unlooped palstave axehead (c.1500-c.1300 BC). The palstave shares typological features with Group I and Group II palstaves. These were the primary forms introduced to Britain in the Middle Bronze Age Schmidt and Burgess 1981). This particular axehead is probably a Group I (shield-pattern) type from the Acton Park phase of Bronze Age metalwork, distinguished by its shield-shaped decoration below the stop ridge (ibid.p.119). The axe is sub-triangular in plan and sub-rectangular in section, tapering to the blade terminal. The blade is narrow tapering and the axe is narrow and unlooped and the butt is broken. The patination suggests that itv was broken in antiquity. The axe has a well-defined, rounded stop-ridge on both sides rising at right angles to the septum. There are two pronounced flanges on either side which have been filed smooth. The septum is smooth and seemingly unworn and slightly inwardly curving. At the end of the septum is a moulded shield-shaped stop-ridge set transversely across the body. The blade is flared and the surface is smooth, bevelled and sharpened. Group I and II palstaves were the primary forms introduced to Britain in the Middle Bronze Age (ibid.p.119). This axe can be assigned to the Acton Park or early Taunton phase, circa 1450-1300 BC. The patination is a mid-green and pitting in the body of the axe suggests casting issues. The length is 160mm, the width is 53mm thickness 40mm and the weight too heavy for scales.

Pearce calls these palstaves 'the backbone of the Middle bronze Age industry' (page 23). They are a technical improvement on the ealrier flanged axes. The earliest palstaves lack side loops and have their blades decorated with a midrib (Group 1 type) like that from Chepstow, or with a shield pattern (Group 2 type). Early midrib and shield pattern palstaves were also being manufactured byt the Acton Park smiths of North Wales and by smiths in eastern Britain before 1400 BC.

Pearce, S.M., 1983 The Bronze Age Metalwork of South Western Britain Oxford : British Archaeological Reports , page 23 , fig 7c & 8e

Schmidt, P. K. and Burgess, C. B., 1981. The axes of Scotland and Northern England Munchen : C.H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung 117-125

Photo from finder.