Object: Hoard (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-1000 to -800)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Trevethin, Torfaen, Torfaen (Wales)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Description: Late Bronze Age hoard of five objects.



1. South Wales Type socketed axe fragment



Dimensions: surviving length 77.4mm; mouth dimensions 50.1 x 37.7mm (external; surviving weight 203.2g.



This is a large mouth and body fragment of a ribbed socketed axe, whose blade end is entirely missing. The axe has a narrow and out-splayed mouth moulding, with three of four runner stubs visible on the upper mouth surface. The axe is rectangular in section with angled face edges. The loop is complete, descending from beneath the base of the mouth moulding. Three prominent ribs descend from the underside of the moulding on both sides, converging slightly towards the lower blade end. The ribs are discontinuous in places, suggesting imperfections in the mould, possibly through re-use. Prominent casting seams are visible down each side and appear to have been rapidly hammered down. The internal flashes inside the loop remain prominent and unfiled. The axe was poorly cast, possibly within a misaligned or ill-fitting three-part mould, with one side markedly thicker than the other, the wall being very thin on one face and side along the break. The break appears to have been made in antiquity and both faces have been dented near the break through impact with a blunt ended object, thereby narrowing the socket aperture at the break end. The axe has a green patination over undamaged surfaces. Recent damage is evident along the thin walled face and side, which has removed a rib and the upper surface, through a side shearing action with a blade. This has created a hole and fissure in the side wall, while the damaged surfaces have a light green patination.



2. Plain slender socketed axe



Dimensions: length 93.1mm; surviving blade width 39.7mm; external mouth dimensions: side to side 38.6mm, front to back 38.6mm; weight 153.7g.



This is a complete plain and slender socketed axe with a single and flared mouth moulding. The axe has a sub-rectangular shaped cross section with rounded face edges. The axe has a deep front to back socket, its mouth being sub-square in shape. A small and wide loop descends from the underside of the mouth flaring. Casting seams are visible down each side, having been partially hammered or filed down, but still projecting in places. The sides of the axe are slightly divergent and concave, flaring slightly at the blade end. The blade edge appears slightly assymetric in shape, deeper at the loop side. Striations parallel with the cutting edge indicate it was sharpened for use. The axes has a green to dark green patination, with small areas of light green powdery surface on damaged blade and around the mouth.



3. Plain socketed axe fragments (6) - Class A, South Eastern Type



Dimensions: surviving length 49.8mm; external mouth dimensions: side to side 41.6mm; combined surviving weight of fragments 63.1g; surviving weight of large fragment 52.2g.



This is a partial mouth end fragment of a plain socketed axe with a double mouth moulding. The axe has a sub-rectangular shaped cross section with rounded face edges. The axe has a sub-rectangular shaped mouth. It is estimated that the front-back mouth dimension was in the range of 37-40mm, giving it a comparatively deep mouth and socket. A wide loop descends from the lower mouth moulding. The axe appears relatively wide in form, with divergent but straight upper sides, suggesting this was once a sizeable socketed axe. Untrimmed casting seams are visible down both sides. Two small fragments of mouth and lower mouth moulding were discovered pushed into the socket of the axe and these breaks are soil covered and appear to be ancient, suggesting the axe was deliberately damaged in antiquity. It is possible that the reverse face was also damaged in antiquity, as evidenced through a tear and in-turned break. A further three small axe wall fragments were retrieved at the time of discovery. The presence of fresh breaks on these and on one lower face of the larger fragment suggest this damage was caused during recent retrieval from the ground. A casting seam crack is evident on the non-loop side, probably caused by ancient or recent impact and deformation to the axe. The axe has a grey green patination, with small areas of light green powdery patination near breaks and around the top of the mouth.



4. Plain Pegged Spearhead, with elliptical leaf-shaped blade (2 fragments)



Dimensions: combined surviving length of large blade fragment and socket fragment c. 174.0mm; surviving maximum blade width 48.6mm; combined surviving weight (including concretion inside socket)135.5g.



A Plain Pegged spearhead, with a lanceolate leaf-shaped blade, broken below the base of the blade insertion. The spearhead midrib shows a marked angularity or ridge along its central length on both faces, giving its external cross-section a sub-lozengic shape at the break. The blade has a bevel 4-4.5mm wide, though only now surviving near the base of the blade and in one localised place along the upper blade, have been partially worn away over much of its length. The blade surfaces have many longitudinal striations parallel with the line of the midrib, suggesting the blade was prepared and sharpened in antiquity. A socket fragment conjoins on one face with the main blade and exhibits a continuing curved ridge, as witnessed down the midrib. An amorphous copper alloy concretion is wedged inside the socket of the spearhead. The spearhead has a grey green patination over most surfaces, although one face is differentially eroded with patches of light green corrosion evident. The tip and blade edges also have a light green patination along much of their length.



5. Lunate-opening spearhead, with leaf-shaped blade (2 fragments)



Dimensions: combined surviving length of large blade fragment and socket fragment c. 179.0mm; surviving length of blade (tip to base) approx. 117.0mm; surviving blade width 53.8mm; combined surviving weight 118.6g.



This is a leaf-shaped spearhead fragment with lunate-openings, with a missing spear tip and also broken just below the base of the blade insertion. The spearhead has an angled ridge down the centre of the blade, giving a lozenge-sectioned upper blade and hexagonal central cross-section on the lower blade, where the lunate openings occur. The angled ridge extends down the upper socket to give the socket here a sub-lozengic cross-section. The blade appears to have been widest below its mid-point and of probable lanceolate leaf-shaped form. The lunate openings are long and wide, in proportion to the blade length, and the spearhead is hollow-bladed, as best viewed along the upper blade break. The blade itself probably once extended a further 50-60mm to give a total blade length of around 150-170mm. The blade has a bevel 5.0-5.5mm wide near its base, though is heavily eroded along middle and upper blade sections. A small rectangular hole is evident in the inner wall of one of the lunate openings, while there is modern damage on one face near the upper break. A socket fragment conjoins with the large blade fragment, extending the combined surviving length to 179.0mm. A side ridge extends from the base of the blade to the point of the peg-hole, whose edge is 21-22.0mm from the base of the blade. Though incomplete and now eroded, this peg-hole appears to have been 5-6mm in diameter and there is a similar concave edge curvature at the same level on the opposing side of the socket. The spearhead has a grey green patination, with localised areas of light green corrosion at blade edges and breaks.



6. Small spearhead socket fragment (probably part of lunate-opening spearhead 5)



Dimensions: maximum surviving length 18.0mm; maximum surviving width 11.7mm; wall thickness 0.9-1.2mm; surviving weight 0.8g.



This is a small socket fragment, found within the backfill of the detector pit, when the find-spot was subsequently investigated. Its thickness and curvature is consistent with the incomplete sockets of the two spearheads in the hoard. The breaks are soil covered and not apparently freshly made. Attempts to re-fit the fragment have not yielded a certain clean join, however it is very probable that this fragment once belonged to the socket of the lunate opening spearhead (No. 5 above). On one side of this fragment is an even concave curve, suggesting part of the aperture of a peg-hole. This is consistent with a peg-hole of 6mm in size, similar to that observed on the conjoining socket fragment of the lunate-opening spearhead. The fragment has a grey-green patination.



7. 'Copper alloy' amorphous drib fragment



Dimensions: maximum length 37.5mm; maximum width 12.9mm; maximum height 11.6mm; weight 5.6g.



This is a small amorphous 'copper alloy' drib fragment, exhibiting no sign of shaping into an artefact form. It is possible that this represents the excess bi-product of a casting or metalworking event, or alternatively, was once an artefact that was heated to a very high temperature and molten state. The possible underside of the fragment has a very uneven surface, taking the contours of the uneven surface on which it lay or landed on. One end of the reverse face has a rounded convex and smooth surface, with two small protrusions, indicating cooling and solidifying from molten state. At the opposite end of the upper surface, there is a thickening of the metal, which projects upwards unevenly. Here, the metal contains holes or vesicles, suggesting bubbling when the metal cooled and solidified.




Metallurgical Analysis of the copper alloy fragment (Mary Davis)



Qualitative surface analysis of the copper alloy fragment (No. 6 above) was undertaken using a Bruker TRACeR III-SD hand-held X-ray fluorescent spectrometer (HHXRF) with a rhodium tube, and a titanium/aluminium filter. There was no surface preparation of the artefacts; the relatively high kV setting deployed would have allowed penetration of the X-rays through corrosion layers, and resulting spectra could be compared with those from similar artefacts, but would not allow for the production of quantitative data.



Results



The 'copper alloy' fragment was revealed to be a zinc alloy, containing at least 90% zinc, plus a small amount of copper. Alloys containing significant quantities of zinc are not found in Britain until the Late Iron Age, when brass containing up to c. 27% zinc was first introduced as a copper-zinc alloy (Bayley 1998, 13). Metallic zinc was not isolated in Europe until the post-medieval period; the composition of this piece strongly suggests a date within the last 100-200 years. It could be the bi-product of a metal casting event or the result of the heating of a zinc artefact (melting point 420oC), causing it to become molten and lose its original form.



Identification and Discussion (Adam Gwilt, Mark Lodwick & Mary Davis)



One of the socketed axes in this group (No. 1) may be confidently identified as of South Wales Type, dating to the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age (1000-800 BC). The combination of out-splayed mouth, high placed and ephemeral loop, blocky rectangular form, ribs descending from the underside of the collar and poorly finished state following casting are all diagnostic elements, in combination helping to identify it to this type (e.g. Needham 1981, 31; Northover unpublished, 259-60; Burgess 2012, 239 & Fig. 1). These socketed axes and their variant forms a frequent and dominating element within Ewart Park hoards across south east Wales (e.g. McNeil 1973, Fig. 9; Moore 1978; Savory 1980, 49, 120-2; Needham 1981; Gwilt 2004). Here, approaching forty hoards now contain at least 150 examples. They are also frequent smaller presences in contemporary hoards across mid and north-east Wales, south western and England, southern England and northern France, with occasional outliers in northern Britain and Ireland (McNeil 1973, 61-4; Moore 1978; Needham 1981, 55-66; Burgess 2012, 241-4 & Fig. 2).



The plain slender socketed axe (No. 2) is difficult to identify to a widespread type, although the absence of any mouth moulding or collar precludes many recognised types. In combination, the slender form with flaring mouth, sub-rectangular section and deep mouth plan, with slightly concave divergent sides and modest blade expansion, are most closely paralleled with Class 5 plain socketed axes from Ireland (Eogan 2000, 42-5, Cats. 201-25 & Pls. 11-12) or the miscellaneous slender socketed axes with rectangular bodies provisionally grouped together within Scotland and northern England (Schmidt & Burgess 1981, 217-8, Cats. 1295-1303, Pl. 86). They have been found associated within hoards of Ewart Park / Dowris date (1000-800 BC) in Britain and Ireland, although an earlier origin within the preceding Wilburton phase of the Late Bronze Age (1150-950 BC) is suspected but remains unproven (Schmidt & Burgess 1981, 218; Eogan 2000, 45). In Wales, a plain socketed axe of similar form has been found within a hoard at Margam Beach, Neath-Port Talbot, beside two other plain socketed axes and a South Wales type ribbed socketed axe (Wear unpublished; Northover unpublished, Hoard 76). This hoard is dated to the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age (1000-800 BC).



The mouth fragment and accompanying small fragments of the second plain socketed axe (No. 3) may be confidently identified as of Class A - South-eastern Type (e.g. Schmidt & Burgess 1981, 212-7; Needham 1990, 28-31; Northover unpublished, Cats. 624-53). This form is characterised by a double mouth-moulding, of which the upper moulding is the more prominent, with the lower giving rise to the loop on one side, with a sub-rectangular body section, squarish mouth and plain non-faceted faces. When found in hoards in Britain, they are almost exclusively dated to the Ewart Park/Carp's Tongue phase of the Late Bronze Age (e.g. Schmidt & Burgess 1981, 216-7; Needham 1990, 30). In south-east Wales, Class A - South-eastern Type socketed axes are repeated presences within hoards of this same date, with single examples present in the Tal-y-garn (1&2) (Rhondda Cynon Taf), Margam Beach (Neath-Port Talbot), Llantwit Major, Pendoylan (both Vale of Glamorgan), Glascoed (Monmouthshire) and Myddfai (Carmarthenshire) hoards (e.g. Storrie 1887; GGAT 1977-8; Metcalf & Lambert 1979; Savory 1980, 121, Cat. 281 & Fig. 42; 1984, 441; Briggs & Williams 1995;Gwilt 2004, 132-4, Appendix 1. 3; Northover unpublished, H 38,74, 76, 79; Wear unpublished).



One of the spearheads (No. 4) may be identified as a Plain Pegged Spearhead with a leaf shaped blade. Pegged spearheads, as an artefact class, generally span from the second half of the Middle Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age (1300-800 BC) (e.g. Greenwell and Brewis 1909, 463; Ehrenberg 1977, 3, 13-14 & Fig. 1; O'Connor 1980, 100-101, 138-41; Northover unpublished, 271, 283). In Wales, early examples of Plain Pegged socketed spearheads are found in the Penard (Swansea), Guilsfield (Powys) and Princetown (Blaenau Gwent) hoards, the first dating to 1300-1150 BC and the second and third dating to 1020-920 BC (Barnwell 1864; Savory 1965; 1972; 1980, 117-19, Cats. 266, 268 & 272; Figs. 32-8 & 40). However, they become most common as associations within hoards of Ewart Park date, dating to 1000-800 BC. In Wales, there are currently thirteen other known hoards of Ewart Park date which include Plain Pegged spearhead associations: the Ty Mawr (Anglesey), Llandderfel (Gwynedd), Llantysilio (Denbighshire), Pant-y-Maen, Manorbier (both Pembrokeshire), St Ishmael (Carmarthenshire), Llantwit Major, Cowbridge (both Vale of Glamorgan), St Fagans (Cardiff), Llantarnam (Torfaen), Llangwm, Glascoed and Llanvihangel Gobion (all Monmouthshire) hoards (Barnwell 1864; Williams 1877; Davies 1929, 368; Griffiths 1957; Burgess et al 1972, 240; Savory 1980, 120-1, Cats. 273 & 281; Gwilt 2004, 132-4, Appendix 1, Nos. 1, 3 & 9; Lynch 1991, 246-9 & Fig. 69; Northover unpublished, H4, 53, 74, 85,108, 121, 141; Gwilt & Lodwick 2011; unpublished; Gwilt et al, 2011a; 2011b). The wooden hafts of a number of Plain Pegged spearheads in England have also been radiocarbon dated to the Ewart Park period of the Late Bronze Age dating to between 1000 BC and 800 BC (Needham 1996, 136-7 & Fig. 3; Needham et al 1997, 93-8).



The second spearhead (No. 5) may be identified as a leaf-shaped Pegged Spearhead with Lunate-openings. This artefact class was first developed during the second half of the Wilburton phase of the Late Bronze Age (c.1050-950 BC), being present within hoards of this date from Wilburton (Cambridgeshire), Blackmoor (Hampshire) and Guilsfield (Powys) (Burgess et al 1972, 214; Savory 1965; 1980, 117-8, Cat. 268 & Figs. 32-8). However, they flourished within the later Ewart Park phase (1000-800 BC), becoming one of the type fossils within the Broadward Complex of large spearhead dominated warrior hoards whose distribution extends across the Marches, into south-west England, across central southern England and into East Anglia and Yorkshire (Burgess et al 1972, 221, 230-5, Fig. 1c; Northover unpublished, 247).



In looking at the overall composition of the hoard, the combination of spearheads and axes suggests an intermediate position between the spearhead dominated warrior hoards of the Broadward tradition and the axes, tools and casting bi-products defining most Late Bronze Age hoards of the Llantwit-Stogursey tradition across south-east Wales and the Carp's Tongue tradition across southern England. Metalwork with Broadward Complex affinities is not abundant in Wales, the evidence currently comprising the Pant-y-Maen (Pembrokeshire) spearhead hoard (Griffiths 1957; Burgess et al 1972, 232 & 240), the Princetown (Blaenau Gwent) spearhead pair (Savory 1972; 1980, 119 & 188, Cat. 272, Fig. 40; Green & Northover 1981; Gwilt 2004, 115-6, Appendix 1.2, Fig. 5.1) and a single barbed spearhead, now lost from Pendoylan (Burgess et al 1972, 232; Savory 1984, 441; Northover unpublished 251).



The amorphous 'copper alloy' (No. 7) was analysed and discovered to be a zinc alloy, comprising over 90% zinc and a small amount of copper. Technologically it cannot be of Late Bronze Age date and it very probably dates to recent times, and is certainly post-medieval or later. Therefore, it cannot be deemed to be directly associated with and buried beside the other five Late Bronze Age artefacts in this hoard.
Notes: References



Barnwell, E.L. 1864. Bronze Implements, Archaeologia Cambrensis 10(3rd series), 212-31.



Bayley, J. 1998. The production of brass in antiquity with particular reference to Roman Britain, In (ed.) P.T. Craddock, P.T., 2000 years of zinc and brass, revised edition, London: British Museum Occasional Paper 50, 7-26.



Briggs, C.S. & Williams, G.H. 1995. The Late Bronze Age Hoard from Allt Gelli Felen, Myddfai, Carmarthenshire, and other recent finds of South Wales axes, Archaeologia Cambrensis 144, 37-51.



Burgess, C. 2012. South Welsh socketed axes and other carp's tongue conundrums, In (eds.) W.J. Britnell & R.J. Silvester, Reflections on the Past; Essays in honour of Frances Lynch, Welshpool: Cambrian Archaeological Association, 237-53.



Burgess, C., Coombs, D. & Davies, D.G. 1972. The Broadward Complex and Barbed Spearheads, In  F. Lynch & C. Burgess (eds.), Prehistoric Man in Wales and the West; Essays in honour of Lily F. Chitty, Bath: Adams & Dart, 211-83.



Davies, Rev. E. 1929. The Prehistoric & Roman Remains of Denbighshire, Cardiff: William Lewis.



DCMS 2002. The Treasure Act 1996; Code of Practice (Revised); England & Wales, London: Department for Culture, Media and Sport.



Ehrenberg, M.R. 1977. Bronze Age Spearheads from Berks, Bucks and Oxon, British ArchaeologicalReports 34, Oxford: British Archaeological Reports.



Eogan, G. 2000. The Socketed Bronze Axes in Ireland, Prähistorische Bronzefunde Abt. 9.22, Stuttgart; Franz Steiner Verlag.



GGAT 1977-8. Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Annual Report, 31-2 & Fig. 8.



Green, H.S.  & Northover, J.P. 1981. The Princetown Hoard, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 29(II), 344.



Greenwell, W. & Brewis, W.P. 1909. The Origin, Evolution and Classification of the Bronze Spearhead in Great Britain and Ireland, Archaeologia 61, 439-72.



Griffiths, W.E. 1957. The Pant-y-Maen Bronze Hoard, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 17(II), 118-24.



Gwilt, A. 2004. Late Bronze Age Societies (1150-600BC); Tools and Weapons, In M. Aldhouse-Green & R. Howell (eds.), The Gwent County History; Volume 1: Gwent in Prehistory and Early History, Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 111-139.



Gwilt, A. & Lodwick, M. 2011. A Late Bronze Age Hoard from Llantarnam, Torfaen (Treasure Case 11.16), unpublished treasure report.



Gwilt, A. & Lodwick, M. unpublished The Cowbridge Hoard, unpublished catalogue manuscript. Gwilt, A., Johnson, S.L., Lodwick, M. & Davis, M. 2011a. Treasure Act 1996 (Case 11.10 Wales); A Late Bronze Age Hoard from St. Ishmael, Carmarthenshire, unpublished treasure report.



Gwilt, A., Lodwick, M., Schlee, D. Poucher, P. & Davis, M. 2011b. A Late Bronze Age hoard from Manorbier, Pembrokeshire ( Treasure Case 10.12 Wales), unpublished treasure report.



Lynch, F. 1991. Prehistoric Anglesey; The Archaeology of the Island to the Roman Conquest, Llangefni: The Anglesey Antiquarian Society (2nd edition).



McNeil, R. 1973. A Report on the Bronze Age Hoard from Wick Park, Stogursey, Somerset, Proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society 117, 47-64.



Metcalf, V. & Lambert, I.G. 1979. Note: Peterston-super-Ely (ST 07567547), Archaeology in Wales, 19, 17.



Moore, C.N. 1978. The South Welsh Axe; its origins and distribution, Archaeological Journal 135, 57-66.



Needham, S.P. 1981. The Bulford-Helsbury Manufacturing Tradition; The production of Stogursey socketed axes during the Late Bronze Age in Southern Britain, British Museum Occasional Paper No. 13, London: British Museum.



Needham, S.P. 1990. The Petters Late Bronze Age Metalwork; An analytical study of Thames Valley metalworking in its settlement context, British Museum Occasional Paper No. 70.



Needham, S. 1996. Chronology and Periodisation in the British Bronze Age, Acta Archaeologica 67, 121-40.



Needham, S. Ramsey, C.B., Coombs, D., Cartwright, C. & Pettitt, P. 1997. An Independent Chronology for British Bronze Age Metalwork: The Results of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Programme, Archaeological Journal 154, 55-107.



Northover, J.P. unpublished Bronze Age Metalwork from Wales and the Marches, unpublished manuscript and catalogue.



O'Connor, B. 1980. Cross-Channel Relations in the Later Bronze Age; Relations between Britain, North-Eastern France and the Low Countries during the Later Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age, with particular reference to the metalwork, Oxford: BAR International Series 91(2 vols.).



Savory, H.N. 1965. The Guilsfield Hoard, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 21(II), 179-96.



Savory, H.N. 1972. A Late Bronze Age Hoard from Princetown (Mon.), Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 25(I), 92-7.



Savory, H.N. 1980. Guide Catalogue of the Bronze Age Collections, Cardiff: National Museum of Wales.



Savory, H.N. 1984. Appendix I, In H.N. Savory (ed.), Glamorgan County History; Volume II: Pre-History and Early History, Cardiff: Glamorgan County History Trust Limited,405-55.



Schmidt, P.K. & Burgess C.B. 1981. The Axes of Scotland and Northern England, Prähistorische Bronzefunde Abt. IX.7, München: C.H.Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung.



Storrie, J. 1887. Interesting Discovery at Llantwit Major, Archaeologia Cambrensis 4 (5th series), 151-55.



Wear, S.L. unpublished Recent Finds of Bronze and Iron Age Metalwork from Margam Beach; with contributions on metal analysis and axe typology by Dr. P. Northover, unpublished draft manuscript.



Williams, W.W. 1877. Bronze Implements and Copper Cake, Archaeologia Cambrensis 8(4th series), 206-211.
Subsequent action: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure