File:Bronze age socketed axe fragment (FindID 858124).jpg

English: An incomplete Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axe head, probably dating to c. 950-750 BC. The surviving section comprises of the cutting edge, now highly abraded, and blade, with the mouth, loop and collar all lost to an abraded, but patinated break. The axehead is broadly trapezoidal in plan, 82.3mm long and expanding from a 36.4mm wide at a worn break to 53.8mm wide at the cutting edge. The object is triangular in profile, tapering from 26.3mm thick at the break to 21.3mm at approximately the mid-point, before continuing to terminate in a point at the cutting edge. In cross section the axehead is rectangular, wit the internal socket being sub-rectangular in cross section. The walls of the axehead appear relatively thin, c. 3mm thick, although thickneing into the corners. The socket survives to a depth of 58.0mm.

The sides of the axehead expand in a gradual, shallow curve, and although now worn, the cutting edge seems unlikely to have flared significantly and is convex. The faces of the axehead are plain, with no indication of ribs or other decoration. Raised casting seams are present on both sides, which appear to be unfaceted. With the exception of the cutting edge, where it has flaked away, the surface of the object survives well, with a rich brown patina.

Overall dimensions: length 82.3; width 53.8mm; thickness 26.3mm; weight: 217.39g.

The tapering, rectangular cross section of the blade and its lack of decoration would suggest that the axehead dates to the Late Bronze Age, contemporary with South-eastern type axes (Pearce 1984: 34), whilst most likely of the Ewart Park phase (compare, for example CAM-3FFFA1 and WMID-B61E05 on this database), given the fragmentary nature fo the axehead a more precise classification is difficult.