Object: Socketed Axe
Period: Bronze Age
Collection: Worthing Museum, 3659,Catalogued 1950; source and acquisition date is unknown
Site: Unprovenanced,Alt. Site. Sussex, Ferring, Highdown Hill,no information about this piece survived in 1950 when catalogued in Worthing Museum, but it could be the socketed axe from Highdown formerly in Henty's possession (1927) - much of Henty's collection was subsequently presented to Worthing Museum; Axe 3659 matches an early illustration of the Highdown example in general size (a), but the latter is very crude and differs in detail.
Parish: Ferring
Year of discovery: NA
Length (mm): 64
Width (mm): 35
Edge (mm): 44
Surface: Greeny brown patina; patches of textured dull green sur. overlying - esp. rev. bl. e. face; patches of smooth dull light green sur., poss. latter removed.
Associations: 9. Undocumented
Description: Dimensions: L 64mm; We 43.8; Wm 35.2; Bm 30.2; Blp 6.3; DS 53,Typology: slight double m-m with top little outsloped - flat; construction at top of loop prob. as-cast; plain sl. bowed faces, body angles emphasised for much of length by small neat ribs esp. on rev. face; single short rib on either internal face - one diffuse; s. end narrow slit & v. sharp,Manufacture: hmks. on bl. e., forging having cause small bulged in line of sides above expanded bl. tips, and bl. tip hollows; stump of thin rounded-off cg. fl. down all but base of sides; small hmks in top sur. of m-m prob. assoc. with flattening and irreg. int. lipping; small perforation in one side - cg. flaw.,Condition: bl. e. intact and fairly sharp; crack in rev. face at mouth dirty + dull - not fresh; sl. dent in centre of blade face poss. dam.,Attached Material: orange-brown stained deposits - thing & textured; chalky butt soil in socket.
Publications: a) Goodman, MS, 87, 95 fig. 1
Remarks: Labels/Markings: Faint black print marking: 3659,PIF; DF(C); SI; CI,Rec. SN Oct. 79,Source: MV