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Late Bronze Age bronze socketed axe
Bronze Age bronze socketed axe fragment
Dimensions: length 112.0mm; surviving width of blade 48.4mm; surviving width below loop 40.2mm; surviving external mouth dimensions 56.2mm (side to side, including upper loop stub); surviving internal mouth dimensions 32.6mm (side to side); dimensions of runner stub: 7.1mm x 4.9mm, height c. 0.2mm; approx. depth of socket 72.5mm; surviving weight (prior to conservation) 306.7g.
This is a blade and upper body piece of a bronze socketed axe, missing approximately one-quarter of the mouth and upper body. The sides of the axe are straight and slightly divergent, with a slightly expanded and near-straight blade edge. Although damaged, it is clear that the axe had a hexagonal cross-section with a rectangular shaped mouth in plan. A single runner stub is visible around the rim of the mouth, along the non-loop side. The mouth is defined by a prominent and narrow moulding. The loop is high-placed, the upper stub descending from the mouth moulding. Three parallel and longitudinal ribs are visible descending down the surviving face, extending for approximately two-thirds of the length of the axe. The ribs are discontinuous, suggesting the re-use of a mould for the casting of the axe. The casting seams are prominent, indicating minimal preparation. The break edges across the upper body of the axe are angular with core-metal exposed, indicating that at least some of the damage to the axe was caused more recently, likely whilst the object was still buried in the ground or during its recent discovery and retrieval. The walls of the axe are very thin across the non-loop side (c. 1.0mm), suggesting that the axe was cast with a misaligned core, which is likely to have influenced the breakage.
The axe has a brown patina. Small patches of blue corrosion are visible along the surviving face, visible below and between the longitudinal ribs. Light green sub-surfaces are visible along the break edges, the damaged blade edge and around the outer rim of the mouth. Projecting bronze corrosion product is visible within the socket of the axe.
Collection Area
Item Number
Find Information
Site Name: Coychurch Higher Community, Bridgend,
Notes: Please treat the Ordnance Survey grid reference to the precise findspot as CONFIDENTIAL. The find is to be referred to as from Coychurch Higher Community. The maximum permitted findspot accuracy to be released to the public is to the 4 figure OS grid reference of SS 96 86. An archaeological findspot investigation was undertaken by Amgueddfa Cymru and PAS Cymru staff on 30th August - 2nd September 2022. During this fieldwork, a fragmentary bronze spearhead of Group 11 (Davis 2015) was discovered in situ. This was carefully lifted in soil block, cleaned and recorded in the conservation laboratory at Amgueddfa Cymru. As the highly fragile and fragmentary artefact could not be conserved of cared for, long-term, it was discarded and the complete salvaged record of the artefact was retained.