Object: Looped palstave
Period: Bronze Age
Collection: ?Stroud Museum or in Private hands? But see other side.
Site: England, gloucestershire,dudbridge (1 mile from stroud),dudbridge mills,found in a sewerage excavation in an orchard, embedded in lias clay, about 10 feet from the surface, at some time before the opening of the stroud museum.
Discovery context: excavated
Parish: Dudbridge
County: Gloucestershire
Country: England
Year of discovery: NA
Associations: "In this particular bronze axe some fragments of wood were found, but unfortunately the [navey?] (the finder) brushed these out."
Description: "It is a remarkably well-formed weapon. The edge is quite sharp, which may be accounted for by the fact of its having been enclosed in matrix of clay.",From the sketch, there appears to be three ridges down the face of the blade; prominent stop-ridge; and chips out of the cutting edge at the end nearer the loop, and from the edges of one of the side flanges.
Publications: An account is given in a cutting from a local (Stroud) newspaper, of uncertain date (but about 1910 or 1911), which account also includes a drawing of the implement. For the relevant extracts, see other side.
Remarks: For all known particulars, see other side.,From an old (undated, but 1910 or 1911) cutting from a Stroud newspaper, sent to the British Museum in January 1936 by the curator of Stroud Museum, to whom the cutting has been returned. The description and particulars on the face of this card are from the same cutting:,"We are indebted to Mr. John Bezant, specialist in the antique, of George Street, Stroud, for permission to illustrate a Bronze Celt or Battle Axe, recently found in a sewerage excavation in an orchard near Dudbridge Mills. The navey who found the ancient weapon was well advised in taking it to Mr. Brazant, because in addition to being a keen antiquariest, he is also anxious to witness the opening of the long-promised museum in Stroud, and although he has been made a valuable offer for this find, he has formed the resolution not to part with it until he has received assurance that it will eventually come to the local Museum...,A find would probably be there (i.e. at Dudbridge), as at Ryeford, as Celtic (sic) people who lived in Gloucestershire would naturally when moving from one hilly district to another select the most suitable spots in marshy lowlands for passing on to firmer ground." Here follows a dissertation on varieties of Celts from "Arms and Armour", and irrelevant remarks about Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages, Romans, Gauls, etc.,The accompanying sketch is a copy of that accompanying the newspaper article.,Copy of covering letter from C. Gardiner of Stroud Museum, to the B.M., dated January 1, 1936: "When I got here some 6 years ago, I found the enclosed cutting. I pursued the bronze and I believe it was bought by a man who behaves badly and exiled himself to Maderia [?]. It is probably locked up in his house here, but though I  have written to him through his lawyer he does not reply. Still, the figure is probably enough to enable you to describe it in the list of English bronzes should you care to do so."