Late Bronze Age bronze socketed axe - Collections Online | Museum Wales
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Late Bronze Age bronze socketed axe

This is a South Wales Type socketed axe, bronze – complete One of a Hoard of nine bronze axes and one possible casting jet.

The 9 axes were recovered from the same pit at depths between 15-45cm. They were placed haphazardly with rocks buried between them. The 9 axes of this hoard group are remarkably homogenous. 1-8 are all socketed axes identifiable as South Wales Type, no.1 is a Collard Variant.They all date to the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age (1000-800 BC). Of the group, only axes Nos.1 and 2 show clear evidence of being worked and prepared for use. Nos 5 and 9 show significant casting flaws and are in their 'as cast in the mould' state, never having been prepared for use. Similarly, nos 7 and 8 were never prepared for use. For axes 3, 4 and 6 the evidence is less clear either way.

The fragment of casting jet was discovered approximately 30 metres away. Leaded bronze casting jets are often found with Late Bronze Age hoards making it likely that this object was originally buried with the axes and disturbed later due to ploughing.

This is a large fragment of a socketed axe with most of the mouth and one upper face missing due to a serious casting flaw. The axe has a high-placed and narrow loop. The mouth was intended to be narrow and everted. No runner stubs have survived on the small portion of the mouth surviving. There is three-ribbed decorated on both faces, more defined, shorter and converging on one side than the other. Prominently projecting casting flashes down both sides and within the loop indicate the axe was never prepared for use and is in straight out of the mould state. The uneven but straight blade edge profile also indicate it was never prepared and sharpened for use. The axe has a grey green patina on most surfaces, with patches of pale brown corrosion on one face and grey-green surface concretions on the other.

Collection Area

Archaeology & Numismatics

Item Number

2025.80H/5

Find Information

Site Name: Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan

Collection Method: metal detector
Date: 2023 / September / 13

Measurements

length / mm:107.6
maximum width / mm:51.1
width / mm
width / mm:43.8
weight / g:310.3
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