ROMAN MINIATURE OBJECT

43

An incomplete copper-alloy miniature axe, the axe head and part of the shaft survive. The axe head is 28mm in length and 9mm in width it is rectangular in shape and the tip of the axe curves downwards. The Axehead is decorated on its front face with imitation binding in a 'X' shape at the attachment end, but this occurs before the shaft, which is unusual. There is further decoration in the form of three vertical grooves along the cutting end of the axe. The back face is undecorated. The shaft is vertical and occurs about a a third of the way along the axehead, it is circular in cross-section and incomplete due to an old break. This miniature axe is similar to one from Hockwold (Green 1976, 316, Plate XXVIII, k) and is Roman in date.