Object: Flat Axehead (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-2000 to -1700)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Sambourne, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire (West Midlands)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Length: 100.75 mm
Thickness: 10.93 mm
Weight: 163.1 g
Description: A complete Early Bronze Age cast copper-alloy undecorated developed flat axe (c. 2000-1700 BC): This implement is sub-rectangular in plan with an expanded crescent shaped blade. The butt, in plan, is complete with a rounded terminal. 



The side view of the axe is a sub pointed oval with both terminals tapering. The long edges on the sides are slightly bevelled, leaving a subtle rectangular central band at the apex and therefore forming a slightly bulging profile.



In cross section the body of the axe has a slight H-shape as the side edges of the axe have been raised by hand hammering to form slight flanges, and therefore forming a curved sloped to the base of the spetum. The depth between the height of the flanges and base of the centre of the spetum is 0.64mm. The flanges appear to have been cast and probably augmented by hammering. There is no decoration present and the casting flanges have been trimmed filled and hammered flat. 



On both faces of the axe there is a slight bump / rib / proto-stop ridge, measuring 46.43mm from the apex of the butt. There is a median bevel when the blade starts to taper from the body of the axe and it measure 80.46mm from the apex of the butt to the median bevel. The median bevel is visible on both faces and is angular. 



On one face the space between the bump/rib-stop and the median bevel there are slight hammer mark traces forming a subtly mottled surface. The other face has active corrosion and a corrosion product adhered to the surface so any hammer marks are not visible. 



The blade tip flares outwards from the body forming a concave hollow. The blade appears to be symmetrical. There is no obvious cutting edge bevel towards the blade edge, although it does tapers giving a slightly blunt edge. 



The surface of the axe, with the exception of the corroded areas, has a well-developed, shiny mottled dark green to dark grey patina. When the surface is reflected in a good light there is a hint of a shiny fine grey glittery surface which is likely to be due to leaching of the alloys in the burial environment where the tin element is better preserved.



The axe measures 100.75mm in length, 58.89mm in width, 10.93mm thick and weighs163.1g.



The axehead is best described as coming from the later phases of the Early Bronze Age (EBA III) 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 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.
Subsequent action: Returned to finder