BRONZE AGE PALSTAVE

-1500

A copper alloy Primary / Early phase Bronze Age (1500-1300BC) unlooped palstave. A Group III palstave with a mid-rib and shield decoration forming a trident. These fall within Acton Park II or Taunton metalworking assemblage. Therefore this can be classified further as fitting within Needham (1996) Period 5, Burgess Metalworking phase VIII. The palstave has a very pronounced mid-rib descending from stop ridge that cuts through the depression of the shield - the shield is delineated by raised edges. The butt is damages and that the raised side flanges which are fused to the stop ridge are exceptionally high and 'box-like'. The cutting edge has distinct flared tips which are unabraded and that the crescentic cutting edge has been hammer shaped and sharpened. The sides show a trimmed casting flash which has not been hammered flat. The patina is unusually bright although it has some surface corrosion - such corrosion is often found within waterlogged burial environments and the landscape around which it is found has relic pools etc.There are traces of what appear to be hammer marks are visible on the blade which may have been done to harden the working edge. It is also possible that the worn blade was hammered to reprofile it, after heavy use (pers comm J.Zuiderwijk) but not ground smooth afterwards. This can be seen on a looped palstave found in West Blatchington, E.Sussex in 1947 (pers comm N.Kalnins) The butt has broken and has a rectangular socket on either side, terminating in a stop ridge before the blade. A seam is visible along the side edges from casting and there is pitting on one face of the axe.