Early Bronze Age Developed Flat Axehead (Arreton Down Type)
Photographer
Isle of Wight Council, Frank Basford, 2011-05-12 11:27:44
Title
Early Bronze Age Developed Flat Axehead (Arreton Down Type)
Description
English: An incomplete Early Bronze age cast copper-alloy developed flat axehead. The butt is incomplete at the top. In plan, its sides are parallel sides and the lower part flares abruptly to the tips of the blade. The low flanges on the butt are very low and have a maximum thickness of 12.4mm about mid-way along its length. They diminish in height towards the butt and towards the blade. The septum has a width of about 10.5mm. It has a thickness of 4.6mm at the break and its maximum thickness about mid-way along its length is 9.7mm. In plan, the cutting edge of the blade curves evenly towards the tips forming a crescent shape. The extreme end of each tip has been broken or abraded. In side view, it has an elongated pointed oval shape. There is no beveling at the cutting edge and no evidence for a stop.
The surfaces are heavily pitted and corroded and seem to be stable. There is no visible evidence of decoration, casting seams, fettling or hammering. The break at the end of the butt may be old.
This axehead is an Arreton Down type dated to Early Bronze Age III, of metalworking stage V, which corresponds to Needham's (1996) Period 3, c. 2000-c. 1700 BC.
FindID: 441752 Old ref: IOW-ADA318 Filename: IOW2011-2-183.JPG
Credit line
The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is a voluntary programme run by the United Kingdom government to record the increasing numbers of small finds of archaeological interest found by members of the public. The scheme started in 1997 and now covers most of England and Wales. Finds are published at https://finds.org.uk
Attribution: The Portable Antiquities Scheme/ The Trustees of the British Museum
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