Record ID: SOM-589161
Object type: CHISEL
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Somerset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A Middle to Late Bronze Age cast copper-alloy chisel. Such chisels are generally thought to be wood working tools. It has a rectangular sectioned tang with a thinned and rounded end; the other end widens and flattened into the blade which ends with a fairly shallow curve and slightly abraded at the corners. The blade is also thinned compared to the central section which is the widest point. There is no evidence of a stop ridge or side lugs. The object has a fairly even dark-brown patina with some slight pitting.
Created on: Thursday 2nd January 2014
Last updated: Thursday 2nd January 2014
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Kingsdon CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SOM-A636D3
Object type: PALSTAVE
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Somerset
Workflow stage: Published
Middle Bronze Age cast copper-alloy palstave (axehead) of unlooped type .The palstave is corroded, with some losses at its extremities. The septum is thinner than the blade suggesting that this is a palstave rather than an earlier flanged axe (Schmidt and Burgess 1981, 115). The flanges gradually widen from the butt to the stop, creating a triangular shape in profile. The stop is angled forwards slightly at its centre. The blade is rectangular in cross-section with shallowly curved sides that widen gradually towards the cutting edge before curving out more approaching the cuttin…
Created on: Friday 26th April 2013
Last updated: Monday 13th May 2013
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Selwood', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PAS-8B52C6
Object type: KNIFE
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Northamptonshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A copper-alloy object of Bronze Age date: probably a small tanged knife dating from the Late Bronze Age (c. 1000-850 BC). The object now has a sub-trapezoidal form, being rounded at the blade tip, and tapering gradually towards it. At the attachment end the object becomes waisted and narrowed, indicative of a tanged handle. However, all of the sides of the artefact are abraded, with a number of significant notched removals. In cross-section the object is the shape of a very flat pointed oval. The surface is pitted on both surfaces. The object measures 60.4 by 20.1 by 2.6mm and…
Created on: Thursday 22nd October 2015
Last updated: Friday 19th February 2016
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SOM-0F85D7
Object type: PALSTAVE
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Somerset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A late Middle Bronze Age/early Late Bronze Age cast copper-alloy palstave (axehead) of unlooped type. The palstave is corroded and pitted. There is not much difference in width between septum and blade; the particular narrowness of the blade suggests an ancillary use as a chisel. The low flanges are abraded but gradually widen from the butt to the mid point, narrowing again towards the stop ridge with which they are fused, creating an elongated oval shape in profile. Just beyond the stop ridge are pronounced lateral protrusions; such lugs or 'trunnions' are known on chisels, but also …
Created on: Wednesday 30th October 2013
Last updated: Wednesday 30th October 2013
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Doulting CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SOM-9AAFF3
Object type: HAMMER
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Somerset
Workflow stage: Published
Description: Late Bronze Age socketed hammer, broadly sub-rectangular with slightly convex faces and a square socket. The top and bottom face angle slightly together towards the striking surface giving the sides of the hammer a trapezoid shape. The striking surface is also convex curved giving rounded ends to the sides of the hammer. There is a wide, plain thickened collar at the socket end of the hammer adjacent to the rim; the corners of this are rounded giving a sub-square outer edge to the rim. There is no clear evidence for a loop, although on side is corroded and could potential…
Created on: Wednesday 17th September 2014
Last updated: Tuesday 2nd July 2019
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Whitelackington CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: DEV-41CD0C
Object type: PALSTAVE
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Cornwall
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A worn and corroded, now incomplete probably Middle to Late Bronze Age palstave axehead of Transitional or Late type, dating to the Penard or Wilburton phase (MBA III to LBA I; c. 1100-900 BC). The butt and loop have been lost to an old break, beyond the point at which the flanges develop. Based on what survives, the flanges themselves have been abraded in places such that their original profile height cannot be replicated. The stop is pronounced and curved at its junction with the flanges. To one side, on the side, is a sub-oval depression, the only remnant o…
Created on: Monday 10th October 2022
Last updated: Monday 17th October 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DEV-21B9A8
Object type: SOCKETED AXEHEAD
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Devon
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A worn fragment of a cast Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead, dating to c. 1300-700 BC. The fragment consists of the axe's blade above which is a worn and abraded termination, placed such that a small portion of the interior of the socket survives. The axe fragment is sub-rectangular in plan. The broken edge of the axe runs broadly transversely across its body. From this point the sides continue at around the same width towards an abraded, seemingly rounded blade. In cross-section the body of the axe is rectangular, while the blade is a pointed …
Created on: Monday 14th November 2022
Last updated: Thursday 17th November 2022
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Halberton CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: DEV-3B950F
Object type: PALSTAVE
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Devon
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A corroded copper-alloy axehead fragment: probably the terminal of a Middle Bronze Age palstave (c. 1500-1100 BC). The cutting edge is shallowly rounded and somewhat abraded. The sides only barely perceptibly flare to this edge. The break, a shallow diagonal, appears old; the solid cross-section revealed suggests that this was a palstave. Such an identification is reinforced by the presence of a central casting seam visible on the side. No decoration appears to survive on the fragment, though the patina is pitted in a few places. Measurements: weight 48.87 g
Created on: Monday 20th February 2023
Last updated: Monday 20th February 2023
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: PAS-9C1225
Object type: BLADE
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Oxfordshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fragment of a copper-alloy blade probably from a sword of Late Bronze Age date. The fragment is pointed oval in cross-section with smooth curve on both surfaces and no discernible mid rib. There are old patinated breaks at each end and down each side, obscuring the original shape. However, in one corner the fragment does appear to flare out slightly, though this may be illusory; the width is generally consistent. It is 28.05mm long, 20.7mm wide,3.7mm thick. It weighs 10.37grams. The surfaces are slightly corroded.
Created on: Sunday 22nd February 2015
Last updated: Friday 23rd June 2023
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: PAS-8C3A73
Object type: STRAP END
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Northamptonshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An early-medieval copper-alloy strap-end, classified as Thomas's (2003, 2) Class A, Type 2 (probably geometric style), surviving well. This would date the artefact to around the 9th century AD. The strap-end is flat in profile. The plate widens very slightly from the attachment end to a widest point at around the mid-point of the plate, not including the terminal; it can be described as shallowly convex, or bowed. This latter is an integral animal head. The split end has been bent down slightly, with the lower split part bent down slightly more besides. It is slightly abraded, and …
Created on: Thursday 22nd October 2015
Last updated: Wednesday 11th November 2015
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: PAS-AF4A39
Object type: BRIDLE BIT
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Oxfordshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A slightly corroded fragment from a late early-medieval/Anglo-Scandinavian cast copper-alloy cheekpiece (c. 11th century AD). The fragment is formed of a curved Ringerike style animal head and neck in profile. The cheekpiece is flat on the reverse, and bevelled around the edges of a flat front. The neck is long and the head is set at roughly right angles to it, but flares out to more like forty-five degrees at the top. On the outer edge of the curve is a three-pointed protrusion, suggesting a crest; this is slightly recessed. At the end of the head is an angled point (at forty-five de…
Created on: Monday 5th January 2015
Last updated: Tuesday 13th December 2016
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SOM-B161F3
Object type: STRAP END
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Somerset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An early-medieval cast copper-alloy strap-end, classified as Thomas's (2003, 2) Class A, Type 2 (probably geometric style), slightly damaged at the attachment end. This would date the artefact to around the 9th century AD. The strap-end is flat in profile. The plate expands from a width of c. 9.3mm the attachment end to a maximum width of c. 12.6mm at the base of the split. From this point it tapers consistently towards an animal head terminal. The split end has been bent down slighty. On both halves the pairs of rivet holes have been abraded through. The plate is unifacially de…
Created on: Friday 13th June 2014
Last updated: Tuesday 17th June 2014
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Williton CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PAS-5E7919
Object type: STRAP END
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Oxfordshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An early-medieval copper-alloy strap-end, tentatively classified as Thomas's (2003, 4) Class A, Type 4 (with enamel). This would date the artefact to around the 9th century. The strap-end is of unusual form and construction, and therefore of note. It has curvilinear sides with their widest point around the centre of the main plate. It terminates in a devolved animal head decorated simply with a transverse ridge at the plate end. The plate is formed of conjoined cells of elongated scrolled C shape. There are two larger such cells that abut back-to-back at the terminal, above which t…
Created on: Thursday 19th February 2015
Last updated: Monday 23rd February 2015
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: PAS-366BC7
Object type: BROOCH
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Published
An incomplete late early-medieval (late Anglo-Saxon) to medieval copper-alloy cloisonné enamelled disc brooch (late 10th - 11th century), of the Saunderton type (Weetch Type 20.A). The brooch is constructed from a base-plate of copper alloy originally with seven equidistant rounded projections; three have been snapped off completely, with only four surviving, non consecutively. A circular copper-alloy collar has been soldered onto this base plate and set within the collar is the cloisonné enamel pattern. The pattern is marked out by copper alloy cells and comprises six conjoined …
Created on: Thursday 20th September 2018
Last updated: Wednesday 7th November 2018
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Gussage All Saints CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PAS-5A8269
Object type: BRIDLE BIT
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Published
A slightly corroded fragment from a late early-medieval/Anglo-Scandinavian cast copper-alloy cheekpiece (c. 11th century AD). The fragment is formed of a curved Ringerike style animal head and neck in profile, broken through the neck. The cheekpiece is flat and the neck is long and the head is set at roughly right angles to it. On the outer edge of the curve is a recessed protrusion, broadly semicircular with a small off-central knop and a second raised knop towards its back (at the neck end). At the tip of the head is a recurving hook to the upper jaw. Below are three slight, lobed p…
Created on: Tuesday 16th October 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 16th October 2018
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Gussage St. Michael CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PAS-5B678F
Object type: BRIDLE BIT
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Published
An incomplete late early-medieval/Anglo-Scandinavian cast copper-alloy cheekpiece of Williams Type 1 (c. 11th century AD). The only element to have been lost is one of the outcurving zoomorphic side plates, broken where the neck of the creature joined the body of the cheekpiece. The other side plate is intact and is formed of a curved Ringerike style animal head and neck in profile. The plate has a D-shaped cross-section, being curved on the front and flat on the reverse, The beast's neck is long and the head is set at roughly right angles to it. On the outer edge of the curve is a cu…
Created on: Tuesday 16th October 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 16th October 2018
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Wimborne St. Giles CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PAS-5C5AB0
Object type: HARNESS FITTING
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Published
A corroded and incomplete late early-medieval cast copper-alloy harness link (11th century AD). The object consists of a central plate with boss, though one half of the plate beyond the boss, along with its loop, have been lost. The arm is semicircular in cross-section, with a flat reverse. At one end of this is a moulded boss extending either side of the plate. It represents a face, probably zoomorphic rather than anthropomorphic. Just protruding above the plate are a pair of pointed ears. Below the plate is the nose and the lopsided V-shaped mouth. The nose is moulded, triangular, a…
Created on: Tuesday 16th October 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 16th October 2018
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Gussage St. Michael CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PAS-602147
Object type: HARNESS FITTING
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Published
An incomplete late early-medieval cast copper-alloy harness link (c. 11th century AD). The object consists of a central plate with boss; part of one of the terminal loops have been lost. The arms are semicircular in cross-section, with a flat reverse. At what would have been the centre of the complete link there is a low moulded boss with a small knop extending either side of the plate. The boss is solid. The plate terminated at each end in a loop; as noted, one is now vestigial. The other is circular and features three rounded knops, one at each cardinal point. The object is a red-br…
Created on: Tuesday 16th October 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 16th October 2018
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Wimborne St. Giles CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PAS-608E5B
Object type: HARNESS FITTING
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Published
An incomplete late early-medieval cast copper-alloy harness link (c. 11th century AD). The object would have consisted of a central circular plate with boss from which four arms would have emerged, one at each cardinal point; one arm has been lost completely, while another arm now only has a vestigial loop. Integral with the central circle is a high domed boss which is hollow backed. The arms are semicircular in cross-section, with a flat reverse. The surviving loops are oval and bevelled externally. They feature three rounded knops, one at each cardinal point. The object is a red-…
Created on: Tuesday 16th October 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 16th October 2018
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Gussage All Saints CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PAS-7187C8
Object type: STRAP FITTING
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Published
A cast copper-alloy artefact of 11th-century date, probably a strap fitting. The object is a ring with a thick hoop and convex crude quatrefoil bezel. The quatrefoil head is perpendicular to the hoop. It is decorated with four triangular grooves arranged in saltire, but not meeting at the centre. The quatrefoil thus created has longer elements in line with the hoop than those perpendicular to it; its rendering is quite crude. The artefact is now a red-brown colour, covered in patches of light-green corrosion product The artefact can be paralleled to a strap slide/loop found looped…
Created on: Wednesday 17th October 2018
Last updated: Wednesday 17th October 2018
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Gussage All Saints CP', grid reference and parish protected.