File:Bronze Age looped trident decorated palstave (FindID 860042).jpg

English: A complete middle Bronze Age copper alloy palstave, probably dating to c. 1500-1300 BC. The palstave is 148.8mm long, with the stop ridge being 62.1mm from the butt. Both the butt end and septum are rectangular, the latter being 10.8mm deep at the stop ridge, which is angled, sloping inwards. The flanges, 3.1mm thick, are lozenge-shaped when viewed in profile, reaching a maximum width of 34.1mm, expanding from 27.8mm at the stop ridge. In plan, the palstave is measures 16.6mm wide at the butt, expanding immediately below it to reach a maximum of 22.6mm roughly in line with the beginning of the flanges. The width then remains largely consistent, being 21.2mm at the stop ridge, below which point the blade begins to flare outwards in a gradual curve, reaching 58.7mm wide at the cutting edge, which is crescentic, with unflaired tips. In profile the blade is broadly triangular, narrowing immediately below the stop ridge in a curved line to 17.4mm, from which point the narrowing is more gradual, tapering to a point at the cutting edge. The blade is unflanged.

The palstave is looped, the inclusion of which takes the maximum width to 29.3mm, the lower edge of the loop is in line with the stop ridge, and it is 20.8mm long and 9.1mm wide (when the palstave is viewed in profile). Both sides of the palstave have longitudinal casting seams, relatively unpronounced. Both faces of the blade feature trident decoration immedieately below the stop ridge, this being a short central mid-rid contained within a shield shaped depression, itself defined by slightly raised ridges.

Overall dimensions: length 148.8mm; width 58.7mm; thickness 34.1mm; weight 333g.

A Palstave featuring very similar "trident" decoration can be seen illustrated by Pearce (1984, no. 809), described as being of high-flanged South-Western type. Another comparable palstave, although with lower flanges is published by Knight, Omrod & Pearce (2015, no. 460), from a small hoard in Somerset. Comparable palstaves on this database include LVPL-135122 and WAW-B8887E. The axehead probably fits into Needham's group III and the Acton Park II or Taunton metal working phases, and probably dates to c. 1500-1300 BC.