Object: Flat Axehead (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to  (-2000 to -1700)
Found: Wantage, Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire (South East)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Length: 78 mm
Thickness: 5.7 mm
Weight: 43.7 g
Description: Cast bronze (copper alloy) decorated developed flat axe of early Bronze Age date (2000-1700BC). The axe is relatively small but is complete with very little wear to the butt end. The blade is much worn and also much sharpened creating a distinct curved blade. The lower body / blade of the axe is decorated with punched pellets. This axe best fits into Developed Flat Axe typology, specifically Type: Bandon. These are dated to the Early Bronze Age (EBA phase II / III), of metalworking stage IV-V, which corresponds to Needham's (1996) Period 3 circa 2000 - 1700 CAL. BC.  The flat axe is broadly sub rectangular in plan with a splayed and worn crescent shaped blade. In profile it is broadly lentoid, with slight tapering edges. In cross section the axe is sub-rectangular with very slight raised edges / side flanges (H shaped). The overall length is 78.0mm and the axe weighs 43.71 grams. The butt is slight and narrow with a distinct D shaped rounded end. It is also relatively thin (1.0mm thickness, width 11.6mm). The long sides (edges) of the axe are relatively straight and expanding from the butt to the base of the blade. The edges of the axe have been raised slightly, probably by hammering rather than casting, to form very slight flanges. It should be noted that where there are raised flanges on both faces there is a distinct groove on the inner face of the axe again suggesting that they have been raised by hammering. At the mid point of the axe a slight median bevel (proto stop ridge) is present on both faces of the axe. This is lightly to have been cast and augmented by hammering; small oval shaped (dished) scars can be seen on both faces of the axe where the metal has been worked to augment them. The ridge itself is not especially prominent, but acts as a distinct division between the butt and lower blade of the axe. The width of the axe at the median bevel is 17.9mm (thickness 5.7mm). Below the bevel the sides continue to expand.   The area between the median ridge and junction with the blade is decorated on both faces of the axe. The design on both is broadly identical being contained by the median bevel and another raised bevel at the top of the blade. This lower bevel echoes the shape of the blade being broadly crescentic and probably parallel to the original shape of the cutting edge. The decoration consists of a series of panels formed from lines of incised pellets. Both the median bevel and lower bevel each have two slightly crescent shaped parallel lines forming a distinct border across the axe, the two long sides each have a similar single line of pellets respecting their expanding edge. This forms a central sub rectangular area which is further sub-divided by two rectangles, aligned along the length of the axe, each made up with incised pellets. There is also some evidence of further decoration continuing on the septum / in the groove formed by raising the side facets. This consists of a single line of pellets on each long side terminating at approximately ½ the length of the butt. These pellets are indistinct and slightly obscured in places by abrasion. Beneath the decorated area and raised ridge the sides of the blade expand to produce an irregular, worn, crescentic blade edge with a maximum width of 29.5mm. The tips of the crescent shaped blade have been damaged through abrasion, as has the blade edge itself. However it is likely that the axe had been heavily worn and used prior to deposition, with the blade shape being distorted by repeated use. A distinct blade facet is not present.  The side of the axe are relatively uniform and there is no evidence of a cast seam. The upper edge of one side of the axe seems to have been decorated possibly with a cable like decoration, being formed from parallel diagonal facets. However, this is less clear on the other lower edge of the axe.    The axe is a mid green colour with a highly polished but abraded 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 of the blade of the axe. Where this damage has occurred a light grey green powdery corrosion is evident.   The axehead is best described as coming from the later phases of the Early Bronze Age of metalworking stage IV-V (more likely V) specifically within the developed flat axe tradition which corresponds to Needham's (1996) Period 3 circa 2000 - 1700 CAL. BC. This axe is very similar to a number of decorated examples specifically from the type: Brandon. These are described by Burgess and Schmidt in Catalogue of the Axes in Northern Britain as: being "notably smaller than other advanced flat axes, usually under 130mm length. They have straight parallel or near parallel sides which curve out suddenly just above the blade to a widely expanded crescentic cutting edge ... Decoration, often rich and complex, is characteristic of Irish examples in particular (p65.) A good comparison to the style of decoration can be seen in axes 347 and 359, although direct parallel of decoration is not recorded
Notes: Found during the Weekend Wanderers Lattin Down Rally 6-7 September 2008