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Late Bronze Age bronze socketed axe
Socketed axe blade fragment - not diagnostic (associated with socketed axe 2014.18H/3)
Collection Area
Item Number
Find Information
Site Name: Colwinston, Vale of Glamorgan
Notes: The finder reported that the hoard had been discovered near to the edge of a field, which had recently been ploughed, rolled and seeded, and close to a tree located in the hedge boundary. The artefacts were all found as a single non-dispersed group, the top of the highest axe estimated to have been found at a depth of 17 inches (43cm) beneath the surface and the base of the lowest axe at a depth of 21-22 inches (52-55cm) beneath the surface. He estimated that his detector pit was around 2 feet (61cm) in diameter at the top and 6 inches in diameter (15cm) at the base. He reported digging through an upper ploughsoil, encountering firmer non-clay deposits deeper down, with clay being exposed at the base of the detector pit. The artefacts were reported as buried in a very tightly packed group. The finder had not observed any evidence of discolouration or organics surviving around the axes, which might have suggested burial within a bag or wrapped cloth. One of the Croxton Type socketed axes (number 6 below, with fragment 10 inside) was found at the top of the hoard. Six of the complete socketed axes (numbers 1-4, 6 & 7 below) and an axe blade fragment (number 9 below) were found lying flat and on top of each other, although the finder was uncertain about how the mouths and blade ends were aligned in the pit. A socketed axe blade fragment (number 9 below) was found inserted, blade edge first, into the top of the split mouth of one of the South Wales type socketed axes (number 3 below). At each end of the axe group a single Croxton Type socketed axe (number 5 with fragment 11 inside) and a Late Palstave (number 8 below) had been inserted vertically. The blade ends of each were facing downwards, while the mouth of the socketed axe and the butt end of the Late Palstave were upwards. This additional information about the placing of the hoard is of archaeological importance, while also confirming the closeness of direct association of the artefacts in the group.