Object: Hoard (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-1000 to -800)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Llantilio Crossenny, Monmouthshire, Monmouthshire (Wales)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Description: Late Bronze Age hoard comprising 12 complete and fragmentary socketed axes.



1. South Wales type socketed axe
Dimensions: length 109.5mm; surviving blade width 51.3mm; width below loop 43.0mm; external mouth dimensions 58.8 by 46.5mm; internal mouth dimensions 34.5 by 26.0mm; dimensions of runner stubs (1) 10.6 by 7.3mm; height 0.2mm; (2) 11.7 by 8.1mm; height 1.0mm; (3) 9.3 by 5.5mm; height 0.2mm; dimensions of runner scar (4) 8.6 by unknown; depth of socket approx. 75.0mm; surviving weight 439.5g.

This is a virtually complete, heavy and long socketed axe with a blocky rectangular shaped cross-section. The sides are slightly divergent and with slight concave curves and little expansion and recurving at the blade end. The axe has a prominent and out-splayed mouth moulding, with a high and narrow loop descending from the underside. Three near parallel ribs descend from the moulding on each face, extending approximately down two-thirds of the face. On one face, the ribs are discontinuous and less well defined, suggesting one of the mould pieces used for casting the axe was old. The face edges are sub-angular. The mouth is heavy and wide topped, with a sub-rectangular shaped external shape and a sub-rectangular internal aperture with rounded corners. Three filed runner stubs and a runner scar are evident around the mouth, each located 90 degrees apart, indicating the axe was cast using a four-runner technology. The casting seams down each side are prominent, but have been rapidly hammered to remove sharp edges. The two mould halves are very slightly misaligned, creating a slight offset between the two halves, and making the width below the loop slightly wider than originally planned. Towards the blade end on the non-loop side, there is an excess of projecting metal, indicating a slight casting flaw, which would not have impacted on the functioning of the axe as a tool. There are small circular pits on the surfaces of the axe, probably created as bubbles within the bronze as it was cast. There are linear striations running along the blade bevel, parallel with the blade edge, indicating the axe was sharpened for use. One blade-edge side has been damaged and removed, however the rest of the blade edge has survived reasonably well. Most original surfaces of the axe have survived and the axe has a brown patina. There are small areas of lighter green and eroded surfaces, around the mouth along the ribs, on one upper side, along the outer loop and along parts of the blade edge and break.



2. Croxton type socketed axe
Dimensions: length 108.8mm; blade width 46.5mm; width below loop 36.6mm; surviving external mouth dimensions (43.5mm) by (35.3mm); surviving internal mouth dimensions (32.7mm) by (26.6mm); depth of collar 14.2mm; depth of socket approx. 64.0mm; surviving weight 302.4g.

This is a near complete, slender socketed axe with approximately one third of the mouth missing. The sides have slightly concave curves, with slight widening and flaring at the blade end. The axe has a wide and flat onset collar, the collar slightly everted, but the mouth does not flare nor have a projecting or bulbous top. A narrow loop descends from the lower collar band. Three near parallel ribs descend from the underside of the collar, extending down approximately two thirds of the length of the faces. The face edges are sub-angular, however the faces and sides have marked convex curvature to them, giving an overall rounded effect to the axe, with its sub-oval cross-section. The mouth is narrow with oval shaped in both external shape and internal aperture and there is no evidence of runner stubs or scars. Casting seams are evident down both sides, but not prominent and there is suggestion that they have been rapidly hammered down. On one upper face and side, there are large rounded depressions in the surface crated by air bubbles during the casting process, however these are minor flaws and would not impact upon the use of the axe. On the blade facets, there are parallel striations running parallel with the blade edge, indicating that the axe was sharpened in preparation for use. The break around the mouth and collar has a number of deep pits along it, suggesting that there may have been localised weakness here created by bubbling in the casting process. The original blade-edge is mostly present, with small nicks along its extent. The axe retains virtually all of its original surfaces and has a brown patina. On breaks and nicks, there are small areas of green and light green patina.



3. Croxton type socketed axe, with Yorkshire type affinities 
Dimensions: surviving length 79.0mm; surviving blade width 44.5mm; width below loop 33.7mm; external mouth dimensions 37.9 by 33.3mm; internal mouth dimensions 29.3 by 24.3mm; depth of collar 10.8mm; depth of socket approx. 65.0mm; surviving weight 203.4g.



This is a small and complete socketed axe with a rectangular-shaped cross-section, with straight and slightly divergent sides, expanding and recurving near the blade end. The axe has a wide and flat onset collar, the collar slightly everted, but the mouth does not flare nor have a projecting or bulbous top. A wide loop emerges from the underside of the collar. Three widely-spaced and slightly converging ribs descend from the collar, extending down approximately three-quarters of the length of the faces. The ribs are well-defined, the outer ones located close to the face edges, which are sub-angular. The upper origins of the ribs extend slightly into the lower collar. The casting seams are visible down each side but have been moderately worked down, either by file or hammer. The external mouth shape is sub-rectangular as is the internal aperture and the mouth is thin, with no evidence of runner stubs, or runner scars. On the upper blade bevels, there are linear striations running parallel with the blade-edge, indicating the axe was sharpened and prepared for use. There are areas of erosion and loss on one lower face, around the blade edge and in patches around the mouth and these areas have a green to light green patina. Overall, the original surfaces have a brown patina.



4. Plain socketed axe
Dimensions: length 78.0mm; surviving blade width 35.9mm; width below loop 28.8mm; external mouth dimensions 35.7 by 32.5mm; internal mouth dimensions 25.9 by 24.1mm; depth of socket approx. 63.0mm; surviving weight 107.3g.

This is a complete plain socketed axe of small size and slender proportions. The sides are slightly concave in shape, flaring outwards at the blade end. The mouth is flared, or slightly trumpet-shaped with slight bulbous thickening around the mouth. There is a wide and high-placed loop. The axe has a rectangular shaped body with sub-angular face edges. The mouth is sub-rectangular in both external shape and internal aperture and thin, with no evidence of runner-stubs or runner scars. The casting seams are visible and thin, but were carefully flattened either by filing or hammering. On the blade bevels, there are linear striations running parallel with the blade edge, indicating the axe was sharpened and prepared for use. Most original surfaces survive and have a brown patina, although small eroded green patches are visible around the mouth, on the loop, sides and along the eroded blade-edge.



5-6. Croxton type socketed axe & collar/upper face fragment 
Dimensions: length 133.9mm; surviving blade width 59.0mm; width below loop 44.8mm; surviving external mouth dimensions (46.1mm side to side); internal mouth dimensions (35.3mm side to side); depth of collar 18.8mm; depth of socket approx. 95.0mm; surviving weight main axe 382.4g; surviving combined weight of axe and fragment 391.5g.

Dimensions of small fragment: surviving length 37.1mm; surviving width approx. 26.5mm; surviving weight 9.1g.

This is a large socketed axe of slender proportions with approximately one-third of the mouth, collar and upper face missing. There is a small collar, upper face and side fragment, which probably broke off the main body of the axe during retrieval from the ground, but which conjoins and fits to the main axe. The axe has near straight but divergent sides, the loop side splaying and flaring differentially near the blade end, to give an unusual assymetric blade profile. The axe has a wide onset collar, with a slight concave curvature, to give a very slight flare of the mouth, but with no pronounced bulbous thickening around the mouth top. A low set loop descends from the underside of the collar. The sides of the axe are angled inwards from the central seams, rather than straight and the sub-angular face edges accentuate narrow faces and a concave flaring form. In cross-section, the axe is hexagonal in shape. The casting seams are visible, but were filed or hammered down. The mouth looks once to have been deep from front to back, to give a sub-square external shape and internal aperture, with rounded corners. The mouth top is thin with no evidence of runner-stubs or runner-scars. The blade is near straight, rather than curved. On the blade bevels there are linear striations running parallel with the blade-edge, indicating that the blade was sharpened for use. On the upper non-loop side, the axe has been damaged with a straight ended tool, which has removed an area of original surface and created a linear impact scar. At the margins, these damaged surfaces are light green, but near the impact mark, bronze metal has been exposed. A second dent and impact mark is evident on the broken face of the axe, which also removed two of the lower ribs. There are light green eroded patches on the blade sides, on one side and around the break edges. Cavities along the break edges and on one upper side suggest that air bubbles got into the axe as it was cast. Original surfaces have a brown patination, while one face has areas of a brown, compacted, soil/bronze concretion deposit still adhering to the surface.

The small collar, side and face fragment exhibits a wide onset collar of similar depth and profile to the main axe, with one upper rib and sub-angular face edge showing. The fragment has broken just beneath the mouth, so no original mouth top survives. This fragment has a brown patina over original surfaces, while the break edges are a green to light green colour. This fragment shows a reasonable fit with the main axe, indicating it is part of the same axe. On the main axe, newly exposed bronze metal can be seen where the fragment fits to the main body, providing evidence that the break occurred during recent retrieval of the axe, rather than in antiquity.



7. Probable South Wales type socketed axe 
Dimensions: surviving length 88.1mm; surviving blade width 44.8mm; width at point below loop 35.7mm; surviving external mouth dimensions - front to back 41.8mm; internal mouth dimensions - front to back 29.5mm; depth of socket approx. 63.0mm; surviving weight 182.9g.

This is a socketed axe of slender proportions, missing one-quarter of its mouth, loop and upper loop side. The sides are slightly divergent with slight expansion and recurving at the blade end. The axe has a prominent, somewhat bulbous and narrow mouth moulding with a poorly shaped but rounded mouth top. Descending from the mouth moulding on each face are three, near parallel, poorly aligned and executed ribs, which descend approximately three-quarters of the length of the axe faces. The axe has a rectangular cross-section and face edges are sub-angular but slightly rounded. The axe has a relatively deep front-back mouth, with sub-rectangular external shape and internal aperture with rounded corners. Around the mouth top, there are three rounded and poorly defined projections located at 90 degrees to each other. While the dimensions of these cannot be accurately measured, it indicates the existence of runner stubs, and suggests the axe was cast using a four-runner casting technology. The casting seams down each side are wide and visible, but have been hammered down after casting. The wall thickness in the area of the break is very thin, suggesting imperfections in the alignment of the moulds during casting, resulting in thinning and weaknesses here in the axe. This weakness appears to have led to a break here, whether in antiquity or the more recent past. On the surviving areas of blade bevels, linear striations can be seen running parallel with the blade-edge, indicating this axe was sharpened for use. On one face, recent linear scratches may be seen running between the ribs, suggesting recent damage, perhaps attempts to reveal the colour of the metal beneath. Original surfaces have a brown patination. The lower face surfaces are fragile and showing signs of lamination, revealing eroded sub-surfaces of brown and green colour. On one side, the mouth has been clipped probably during retrieval, revealing bronze metal and light green powdery surfaces. There are further light green powdery patches on the mouth, upper side and along the eroded blade edge.



8. South Wales Variant socketed axe 
Dimensions: combined surviving length 102.1mm; surviving blade width 51.1mm; width below loop 41.7mm; external mouth dimensions 49.0mm by (38.6mm); internal mouth dimensions - side to side 33.6mm (front to back not measurable); depth of mouth moulding/collar 11.8mm; depth of socket approx. 79.0mm; surviving weight 228.8g.

This is a ribbed socketed axe with a flaring blade, which is missing an area of one upper face and one-quarter of its mouth. The blade has also been broken across one corner. The axe has sides with concave curves, flaring outwards evenly towards the blade end. The axe has a deep and flat, but prominent everted mouth moulding / onset collar which is 11.8mm deep, and a relatively low set, but narrow loop, which emerges from the underside of this deep moulding or collar. Descending from the underside of this deep moulding, three near parallel and continuous ribs extend approximately two -thirds to three-quarters of the length of the faces. On one side, the ribs are slightly shorter, but parallel, while on the other, they are longer and curve to converge slightly towards the blade end. The flat-topped mouth has both sub-rectangular external shape and internal aperture and there is no evidence of runner-stubs or -scars around its top. The casting seams have been partially filed or hammered down. The break edges on the upper face of the axe show the wall to be very thin in this area, suggesting a casting flaw, leading to breakage here. As the break edges are fresh, the break appears to have happened recently during retrieval of the axe from the ground. On the blade bevels, linear striations can be seen running parallel with the blade-edge, indicating that the axe was sharpened after casting for use. The break to the blade corner is soil covered, suggesting the break occurred some time ago, rather than during recent retrieval from the ground. The faces of the axe are pitted with small eroded depressions, suggesting differential erosion while in the ground. The original surfaces have a brown patination. The upper break and blade-edge have lighter green eroded surfaces.



9-11. Llanarth type / Southern English B4 ribbed socketed axe
Dimensions: combined surviving length approx. 105.9mm; surviving length of large fragment 88.8mm; surviving blade width 42.2mm; width below loop 31.6mm; depth of socket approx. 73.0mm; combined surviving weight 155.4g; surviving weight of large fragment 140.1g.



Dimensions of mouth and moulding fragment: surviving length 23.9mm; surviving width 30.7mm; depth of double moulding 15.0mm; surviving weight 12.3g.

Dimensions of small moulding fragment: surviving length 25.5mm; surviving width 16.2mm; surviving weight 3.0g.



These are three conjoining fragments of a narrow and slender axe, which is missing three-quarters of its mouth, moulding and its loop. The sides are slightly divergent and with concave curves, flaring slightly at the blade end. The axe has a flaring and trumpet-shaped mouth with a concave form, the mouth slightly thickened, but not prominently bulbous or protruding. There is a lower ribbed moulding, however this double mouth moulding does not stand proud of the upper blade, so does not form a clear collar. The partial mouth fragment looks to have been possibly sub-oval in shape, although this cannot be established with certainty from the fragment remaining. No runner stubs or scars are evident on the surviving mouth top. The axe has a rectangular cross-section with angular to sub-angular face edges, although the faces have a slight convex curve to them, giving a slightly rounded face appearance. The casting seams are visible, but have been hammered or filed down. The breaks on all fragments look fresh, including some areas of exposed bronze metal, suggesting the axe was broken when it was removed from the ground and suggesting that fragments of the mouth remain in the find-spot locality. The surviving original surfaces of the axe have a brown patination, while areas along the breaks, around the mouth, on one upper face and along the blade-edge have light green and powdery eroded surfaces.



12. Ribbed socketed axe - small mouth fragment
Dimensions: surviving length 19.0mm; surviving width 36.5mm; surviving weight 8.0g.

This is a small mouth and upper face and side fragment of a socketed axe, the surviving mouth representing approximately one-quarter of the original complete mouth. The axe has a prominent and bulbous narrow mouth moulding with a rounded mouth top. Descending from this moulding a single rib is visible running down the upper face of the axe. The external shape and internal aperture of the axe appears to be sub-rectangular, with rounded edges. No runner-stubs or runner-scars are visible along the surviving mouth top. The break edges are fresh, suggesting that this axe was broken during its recent retrieval from the ground. As this fragment cannot be joined to any other of the axes, this must represent a ninth socketed axe, further fragments of which probably remain at the find-spot locality. The original surfaces of the axe have a brown patination, while areas of the break edge and upper face have light-green eroded surfaces.



Other Finds



A Roman bell-shaped stud, a modern socket or cap fragment containing wood remains and a copper lump were all reported with the hoard, but stylistic properties, complimented by metallurgical analysis, means they cannot be deemed associated with the find.
Notes: One of the socketed axes reported may be identified as a South Wales Type socketed axe (Nos. 1, above). 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). A second axe (No. 7, above) was probably also an example of a South Wales type axe or Variant form, exhibiting some of the typological features: a four-runner casting technology, three ribbed decoration on both faces, descending from an out-splayed mouth and with a sub-rectangular cross-section. However, as the loop is missing, the characteristics of its form and relative loop location cannot be identified. In addition, this axe has a particularly deep front-back mouth dimension, suggesting an original sub-square shape, rather than the typical rectangular form, normally with a long axis from side to side. This deep mouth may suggest an axe that was cast, used and buried towards the end of the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age (c. 850-800 BC), since axes with deep front-back mouth dimensions generally become typical attributes of axe types used during the later Llyn Fawr phase of the Earliest Iron Age.



A further axe (No. 8, above) may be regarded as a Variant form of the South Wales type. Although of blocky rectangular form, with three ribs descending from a prominent mouth moulding similar to the South Wales type, this was not cast using the typical four-runner casting technology. In addition, this axe has a deep and everted mouth or collar with an even and flat profile, rather than the more typical prominent and out-splayed form. The loop, of modest width, is also lower set than typical on South Wales type socketed axes, the upper arm extending from beneath the deep mouth or collar. Overall however, it is most similar in form and proportions to socketed axes of the South Wales type, hence its attribution as a Variant example.



South Wales type socketed axes and their Variant forms are a frequent and dominating element within Ewart Park hoards of Late Bronze Age date across south-east Wales (e.g. McNeil 1973, Fig. 9; Moore 1978; Savory 1980, 49, 120-2; Needham 1981; Gwilt 2004). Here, around forty hoards now contain at least 150 examples, making it the core area within Britain for their burial within hoards. Approaching fifty single finds of South Wales Type socketed axes have also been discovered in south-east Wales. 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).



Two socketed axes (Nos. 2 & 5-6) may be identified as of Croxton type, with their deep onset collar bands, with flat or near flat profiles and face ribs descending from the underside of the collar-band. The type name Croxton originates from an example found in Cheshire, whilst the form appears to occur most commonly along The Marches (Northover, unpublished, 267). These axes typically belong to the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age (1000-800 BC).



A further small socketed axe (No. 3, above) may be tentatively identified as a third example of a Croxton type socketed axe, but also showing affinities with Yorkshire type socketed axes. This example has a deep onset collar band, with a flat profile and giving the axe an evenly everted mouth. The three ribs on each face are extremely wide-set and extend down approximately two-thirds of the faces of the axe, converging very slightly near ends. These, together with the blocky and short proportions of the axe and wide loop, echo typical features of Yorkshire type axes (Schmidt & Burgess 1981, 223). However, this axe does not have a prominent and bulbous mouth moulding with a second lower positive moulding, as typical features of Yorkshire type axes and there are no opposed ribs evident inside the socket (Schmidt & Burgess 1981, 223-39, Cats. 1356-1571 & Pls. 89-99).



The slender ribbed socketed axe (Nos. 9-11, above) with a flaring and trumpet-shaped mouth of concave form, with a lower ribbed moulding and three short ribs down each face may be identified as of Llanarth type, equating with Class B4 Southern English ribbed axes and broadly with Type Welby ribbed axes of Northern England (Burgess 1963; Schmidt & Burgess 1981, 221-3, Cats. 1335-55, Pls. 88-9; Needham 1990, 36-7, Cat. 52 & Fig. 6.52; Northover, unpublished, 267). Llanarth type axes typically date to the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age (1000-800 BC) (Burgess 1963, 22; Schmidt & Burgess 1981, 222-3; Needham 1990, 38; Northover unpublished, 267).



The small mouth fragment (No. 12, above) once belonged to a ribbed socketed axe, whose precise type cannot be established from the small fragment surviving. However, various forms of ribbed axes have been found beside South Wales type axes in around a dozen known hoards of Ewart Park date from south-east Wales. Therefore, this presence is entirely consistent with a Late Bronze Age hoard association from this region.



The small, plain and slender socketed axe (No. 4, above) 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).



Having identified all nine socketed axes from this immediate localised find-spot, it is apparent that they all date to the same period of time: the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age (1000-800 BC). The account of the discovery of the axes indicates that all nine axes were found within approximately 1m of each other at depths of between 20 and 50cm beneath the surface. This is consistent with their burial together at the same time as a hoard within a pit feature.



Authors



Adam Gwilt - Principal Curator: Prehistory, Department of History & Archaeology, Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales



Mark Lodwick - Portable Antiquities Scheme Wales (PAS Cymru) Co-ordinator



Mary Davis - Principal Analytical Services Officer, Department of Collections Services, Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales
Subsequent action: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure