Object: Palstave
Period: Bronze Age
Collection: Ford, Mr. R.J. - private,Bades Farm, Prees, Shropshire
Site: England, shropshire,prees,brades farm,pits field
Discovery context: farm
Parish: Prees
County: Shropshire
Country: England
Grid reference: SJ 540 329
Year of discovery: 1979
Length (mm): 174
Width (mm): 26
Edge (mm): 75
Thickness (mm): 8
Weight (g): 591
Surface: Patina black-brown/mid-brown mottled - largely intact; flaked in patches towards edge and bt. and a little on fg. crests to dull brown with some brightish green speckles.
Associations: 8. Single Find
Description: Dimensions: L 173.5mm; We 74.9mm; Wbt 25.5mm; Bfg. 32.7mm; Bst (middle) 29.3mm; Tsep 7.7mm; Wt. 590.9 gms,Typology: slightly irregular bev. across fg. tops on sep.; one sep. little wider than other - both curved between in cross-sec., with rounded angles; fg. and stop crests neat rounded - no distinct bevels; stops little depressed in centre; short fg. extensions onto bl. with flattened crests tending to splay at bases; midribs low-rounded bumps with at crisp bevels - one extends virt. to edge bev., other higher, but as short as fg. extensions; slides slightly bowed in cross-sec.,Manufacture: cg. fl. remains as very broad low rounded bump - less pronounced on other side, virt. all trace removed on bl. sides, with some hammer rippling; dimples generally over surface - hammer marks or moulding? Swallow hole in end of one sep., depression in other; e. bevs. little diffuse - assoc. hammermarks,Condition: most of blade edge irregular - probably from chipping of patina, but one large chip def. anc. with patina intact; patina frag. also in one butt depression - irreg line probably original 2 or 3 small gougings of patina - probably recent - including one blade angle, forming facet; short intact stretches of blade edge suggest once fairly sharp,Attached material: chalky fawn 'dust' adhering in parts; some stained orange brown matrix also
Publications: a) Salop S.A.M. Record - SA 2684
Remarks: Circumstances: Found Winter 1978/9; actual field from which recovered not remembered by finer, but Susan Limbrey was able to match clayey soil deposits adhering to the axe with soil from Pits Field - the only clayey one in the vicinity; GR based on centre of field. (a)