Object: Flat Axehead (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-2000 to -1700)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Wormhill, High Peak, Derbyshire (East Midlands)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Length: 98.1 mm
Thickness: 11.3 mm
Weight: 210.8 g
Description: An incomplete decorated flat axe of the Early Bronze Age, dating from c. 2000 BC - 1700 BC. This fits with Early Bronze Age (EBA phase II / III), of metalworking stage IV-VI, which corresponds to Needham's (1996) Period 2-3 circa 2250 - 1900 CAL. BC.



The flat axe is broadly sub-rectangular in plan with a splayed crescent shaped blade. In profile it is broadly lentoid(pointed oval), with slight tapering edges. In cross section the axe is lentoid. The axe is broken toward the butt of the axe, but more than three-quarters of the axe survives. The break is relatively jagged and uneven; however it has a similar patina to that of the rest of the axe - suggesting damage in antiquity. The sides of the axe gently expand in width from the broken edge to the blade. The edges of the axe have not been raised to form flanges; however a slight median bevel (proto stop ridge) is present on both faces of the axe. This has been formed from hammering and small oval shaped (dished) scars can be seen on both faces where the metal has been worked to form them. The ridge itself is not especially prominent, just forming a change of angle between the face of the butt and the face of the blade. Below the bevel (change of angle) the sides continue to expand. The area from the edge of the butt to the junction with the blade facet is decorated on both faces of the axe. The decoration is formed from a series of parallel linear lentoid lozenges. This form of decoration is known as rain-pattern and is common on the later decorated examples of the Migdale tradition. The decoration is best observed under a raking light. It stops at the blade facet. The side edge of the axe have been abraded heavily and it is difficult to tell whether there is any further decoration. Beneath the rain pattern decoration the sides of the blade expand to produce a crescentic blade edge. The tips of the crescent shaped blade have been damaged through abrasion, as has the blade edge itself. A distinct blade facet is present. There are a series of striations (incised lines / file marks) running across the width of the axe. These are likely to be a result of sharpening the cutting edge.



The axe measures 98.1 mm in length, it is 30.4 mm wide at the butt and the blade is 78.6 mm wide. The butt has a thickness of 9.2 mm, the blade is 5.7 mm thick, and at the median ridge the axe is 11.3 mm thick. It weighs 210.8 g.



The axe is a mid green in colour with a highly polished patina, which has been damaged in areas. Where this had occurred it is probably as a direct result of movement in the plough soil. This abrasion is most evident on the reverse of the axe. There are, however, a series of large scars which have removed areas of decoration. Where this damage has occurred a light grey green powdery corrosion is evident. On the front surface of the axe to the right and towards the blade is an area of unusual blue/green corrosion. Abrasion caused by movement whilst within the plough soil has resulted in the loss of some of the original surface detail. Some of this abrasion is modern and has cut through the patina and corrosion revealing the dull gold colour of the meatl beneath. The axehead is best described as coming from the later phases of the Migdale tradition (specifically the decorated variant) dated: 2250-1900 CAL. BC / end of EBA II - III. This axehead forms part of the corpus of earliest bronze axes of Britain. They are dated to the same period as Beaker pottery, barbed and tanged flint arrowheads, copper halberds and gold lunulae. Other examples of this type of axehead have been recorded in Rhon and Needham (1998), page 125, No 57, and have been recorded on the database, including HESH-299826 and SWYOR-F748BE.
Subsequent action: Returned to finder