Object: Flat Axehead (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-2000 to -1700)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Enstone, West Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire (South East)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Length: 103.92 mm
Thickness: 12.18 mm
Weight: 180.31 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 profile of the axe is an irregular pointed oval with both terminals tapering. 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 1.23mm. The flanges appear to have been cast an probably augmented by hammering. The sides of the axe are slightly convex bulging outwards slightly from the upper edge of the 'H' section; there is no decoration present and the casting flanges have been trimmed filled and hammered flat. The centre of the sides, running from the butt to the start of the blade, has a flattened band at the apex of the convex face. On both faces of the axe there is a slight bump / rib / proto-stop ridge, measuring 44.90mm from the apex of the butt. 80.82mm from the apex of the butt, on each face there is a very slight ridge when the blade then tapers which is the median bevel. On one face the space between the bump/rib-stop and the median bevel is very slightly undulating, on the other face the space is slightly concave. In plan the sides of the blade flare outwards towards the blade tips. One blade tip is complete and is a blunt point, the other is slightly rounded. Both the tips have lost their patina, but the shaping is perhaps due to use rather than recent damage. In plan the cutting edge is slightly asymmetrical. There is no obvious cutting edge bevel towards the blade edge, only the slight ridge which is 24.17mm from the apex of the cutting edge. The surface of the axe has a well developed, mottled dark green to brown patina, which is slightly pitted on the blade. 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 103.92mm long, 62.85mm across from blade tip to blade tip, 12.18mm thick at the bump/rib-stop, and weighs 180.31g.



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. A similar axe is illustrated in Savory (1980), No. 338.1 from Breach Farm, Llanblethian, Glamorgan.
Subsequent action: Returned to finder