BRONZE AGE PALSTAVE

-1000

An incomplete and rather small Late Bronze Age (1000-800 BC) palstave axehead, with damage to the butt end (all original edge missing) and the stop ridge and flanges on one side. It measures 48.52mm in length, 27.29mm in max.width (from loop to opposite edge) and 15.15mm in max. thickness (stop ridge to stop ridge). It weighs 42.68g.The width at the broken butt end is 19.43mm, where it is I-shaped in cross-section (with a cross bar at either end), max. 8.88mm thick and min. 5.68mm thick. It widens a little at the stop ridge to 20.35mm wide. Inclusive of the single loop to one side, it measures 27.29mm (max. width). On one face, with loop to the left (and blade pointing downwards), there is considerable damage to the stop ridge and flanges, possibly recent (plough) damage. Almost all the flanges on this face are missing. There is only a little damage to the flanges and stop ridge on the opposite face.The casting flash is visible on the loop, which appears worn, but otherwise all casting flashes have been smoothed down. The loop measures 15.57mm long (internal 5.92mm) and 3.89mm thick.Below the stop ridge the blade is waisted, min. 19.08mm wide (x 9.40mm thick). It then flares to the cutting edge (21.58mm), which is curved and the corners a little damaged. It is 1.95mm thick at the edge.Brendan O'Connor writes: This is a miniature palstave based on a full-size model of narrow-bladed Late Bronze Age type, not a broad-bladed Middle Bronze Age type. The only close comparison I know is also from the Channel Islands, found on Sark as part of Barry Cunliffe's work there (pers. comm. May 2013).Ritual deposition is only one of several explanations for this find, especially when so few comparisons are available.