Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
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BLADE
Unique ID: BH-E1E7E6
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An incomplete cast copper-alloy fragment of a blade, possibly a rapier, dating to the Bronze Age (c. 1500-1200 BC). The fragment is rectangular in plan and lozenge-shape in cross section - this being typical of the Bronze Age. The edges of the blade are narrow, rounded slightly and uneven, with minor patches of damage in places. The corners are also rounded. The shape of the blade is not quite parallel with one end being slightly wider than the other, but overall it has a relatively even profile. Both surfaces have a mid-brown patina while the edges are a mid-green. The blade measures 56mm in length. The narrower end is 18mm in width and 5mm thick, and the wider end 19mm wide and 5.5mm thick. It weighs 28.32 grams.
Several similar blades are recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database, all of which date to the Middle Bronze Age. This includes examples from Wiltshire (WILT-9D21F1, WILT-90C8FE) and West Sussex (SUR-750511).
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: BRONZE AGE
Period to: BRONZE AGE
Date from: Circa 1500 BC
Date to: Circa 1200 BC
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 56 mm
Width: 19 mm
Thickness: 5.5 mm
Weight: 28.32 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st January 2018 - Friday 31st August 2018
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Spatial metadata
Region: Eastern (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Hertfordshire (County)
District: Dacorum (District)
Parish or ward: Great Gaddesden (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: TL0510
Four figure Latitude: 51.7788264
Four figure longitude: -0.47940934
1:25K map: TL0510
1:10K map: TL01SE
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Find number: BH-471B28
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Timeline of associated dates
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