Object: Looped palstave
Period: Bronze Age
Collection: Ashmolean Museum, Oxford,Evans Collection,1927.2596
Site: England, somerset,ilminster,winterhay green,found in draining allotment.
Parish: Ilminster
County: Somerset
Country: England
Year of discovery: NA
Length (mm): 139
Width (mm): 29
Edge (mm): 50
Thickness (mm): 8
Weight (g): 413
Patina: Dirty
Surface: Pitted
Other: Width: edge, broken 50mm; centre 29mm; butt 29mm,Thickness: centre 8mm; 32mm,Weight: 413.280 gms
Associations: Found with gold (?torc: P.T.O for letter describing find), another palstave (No. 2597), and a broken bronze bracelet (No. 2598).
Description: Very badly damaged: 1 corner of blade missing, loop broken, butt very imperfect. Strong midrib. Narrow transverse ridge on side opposite loop, level with lower point of attachment
Publications: Evans, Anc. Br. Imps. pp. 90, 384.
Remarks: Letter from Miss (?) F.A. Sherland, Ilminster, May 19, 1877 to Thos. Codrington, Esq. 10 Montague Villes, Richmond Hill, Surrey.  "I have this day forwarded to your address the Battle Axes...they were dug up in 'Winterhay Green' which was a small common in the parish of Ilminster, when my brother was having his allotment drained. There were 2 ornaments of gold...It was rolled up in a [bundle?] but when opened it was a long strip of gold, about, about 1/4 of an inch in width, with a kind of crook at the end to fasten with. It was a very large piece and weighed about the weight of 2 guineas; if I recollect right there were 2 similar pieces."