WILT-5A7B44: Middle Bronze Age palstave - view one of two

Rights Holder: Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society
CC License:


Rights Holder: Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society
CC License:

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PALSTAVE

Unique ID: WILT-5A7B44

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation Find awaiting validation

Middle Bronze Age low-flanged, broad-bladed palstave axehead with Trident decoration. There is a small area of recent-ish damage to the butt end.
The blade is roughly trinagular in shape with a splayed cutting edge. This is also slightly damaged but otherwise in good condition. A mid-rib extends for about half the length of the blade from beneath the stop. This, with the shield decoration that extends from the flanges, creates the trident decoration. On one face the shield is rather more triangular than the other.
At the sides of the exahead the flanges has been smoothed down and a curious 'hip' just out slightly on each side. It is concave and 3mm wide stretching the width of the blade at its top (15mm), in between the flanges on both faces.
The length between stop and butt is 66mm. It is max 10mm deep and 16.5mm wide.
The cutting edge is 71mm wide and the length of the object is 168mm. It weighs 490g (to the nearest 10g).
The patina is smooth and shiny and a rich brown in colour.
Cf Schmidt, P.K. and Burgess, C.B. (1981), The Axes of Scotland and Northern England : Low-Flanged, Type Wantage.
Unlooped palstaves date to the Acton Park phase, c.1450 to 1350 BC.

Class: Low-flanged

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: BRONZE AGE
Date from: 1450 BC
Date to: 1350 BC

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 168 mm
Width: 71 mm
Weight: 490 g

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 1st March 2005

Personal details

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Materials and construction

Primary material:
Completeness: Incomplete

Spatial metadata

Region: South West (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
District: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
To be known as: Latton

Spatial coordinates


Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
General landuse: Cultivated land

References cited

Author Publication Year Title Publication Place Publisher Pages Reference
Schmidt, P.K. 1981 The Axes of Scotland and Northern England Munich Prahistorische Bronzefunde Abteilung Type Wantage

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Timeline of associated dates

Audit data

Recording Institution: WILT
Created: 18 years ago
Updated: 11 years ago

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