File:Late Bronze Age, ribbed socketed axe (950 – 700 BC) (FindID 215542-173192).jpg

English: Cast bronze ribbed socketed axe of late Bronze Age date (950 – 700 BC). The axe is sub-rectangular in plan with a flared convex cutting edge and the socket is sub-rectangular in cross section. The axe has slipped somewhat in the mould and the elements on one face are considerably higher than the other. This slippage has also resulted in the sides being slightly stepped in profile. The axe measures 92.9mm length, 45.5mm width, is 38.3mm thick and weighs 236.77 grams. The depth of the socket is 75.7mm.

The socket of the axe is sub-rectangular, with an irregular mouth. The top edge of the socket shows little evidence of casting jets that have been trimmed flush with the socket mouth. One of the four casting runners survives the extensive abrasion and can be clearly identified. The swollen moulded collar of the socket is relatively wide and varies in thickness along its length. At the base of the collar a small swollen rib extends. The loop is well preserved and relatively small and wide with a irregular lentoid shaped cross section. It is set in a low position on the axe being set beneath the collar in line with the horizontal moulding. A considerable amount of casting debris is present within the loop and also above it (in line with the moulded collar). In most axes this material is trimmed and removed. The horizontal cast moulding is present on both faces and the edges of the axe; however this is better preserved on one face. From this moulding, on each face, three parallel longitudinal ribs descend. The ribs are complete and taper along their length terminating approximately in the middle of the axe. The two long sides of the axe expand slightly along the length of the socket and terminate with an expanded blade. The casting flashes on the sides of the axe have been hammered and also filed; also clear striations on the blade’s edge bevel suggest some preparation for use. The expanded blade has a curved convex (crescent shaped) cutting edge which is relatively well preserved. There is some evidence of hammering and sharpening; these are most evident near the blade edge and tips and consist of small hammer scars and slight striations. The blade edge has been lost through abrasion and corrosion.

The socketed axe head is a mid matt greenish brown colour with an even, well formed patina which covers most surfaces. There are several areas where this patina has been lost – probably through abrasion. Here a dark green coloured metal can be seen. Some of this exposed metal has a light green powdery copper corrosion present. The areas worst affected are those around the collar, socket and cutting edge.

When the finder brought this axe in for recording it had not been cleaned and a large plug of soil was present in the socket. This was removed in the conservation lab at Ludlow Museum Resource Centre in controlled conditions. Upon the removal of the hard packed mud present in the upper part of the socket a void was discovered beneath. In this void, and protected by the mud, a large fragment of wood was recovered. This represents the tip of the haft. The wood was extremely dry, friable and very fragile. All bark had been removed from the outer surface, but no evidence of cut marks were present. The wood itself is very fibrous and was split into two pieces, possibly as a result of an old break, or possibly due to environmental changes in the axe. There was no evidence of burning. There is also no evidence of other organic material / packing within either the socket or the excavated soil. The presence of preserved wood is relatively unusual although not entirely uncommon. It is hoped to have the wood further analysed to source the type of wood. In an ideal world it would also be good to have this piece dated by radiocarbon analysis, although this process is somewhat costly. A broad typology of axes, linked with radiocarbon dates (Needham 1996), already exists and so it is uncertain what extra information this extra analysis would supply.

This axe fits into a well known distribution of ribbed axes present in the Northern Marches (Shropshire) and north and East Wales. It can be paralleled with a similar socketed ribbed axe from Breiddon Hillfort (Powys) which was discovered during excavations. This also had a portion of preserved willow haft which was radiocarbon dated to the period 754 ± 50 CAL BC (Musson 1991). This fits with the final phases of the Late Bronze Age specifically that associated with Ewart Park industrial phase. Similar discoveries of Socketed Axes (from which this example may be paralleled) can be seen in the Willow Moor Hoards (of 1790’s and 1840’s) from Little Wenlock, Shropshire (Chitty 1928). A similar axe was also discovered in a hoard of axes from Pencoyd, Herefordshire (2005-T412). This was also dated to the Ewart Park phase. These axes correspond in date with Needham’s period 7 (Needham:1996) Very few Socketed axes have been discovered or reported from Shropshire in recent years so this example is particularly important to the understanding of Late Bronze Age Archaeology of the County.

Thanks are extended to Dr Dot Bruns who has helped provide published parralels for this axe.