Object: Hoard (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-1000 to -800)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Llancarfan, the Vale of Glamorgan, the Vale of Glamorgan (Wales)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Description: Late Bronze Age hoard of two socketed axes.



1. South Wales-type socketed axe 



Length 102.0mm, blade width 54.0mm, weight 354.0g. 



This is a complete bronze axe with an outsplayed mouth moulding and a high loop. The axe has a sub-rectangular shaped mouth in plan, with four runner stubs, indicating a four runner casting technology. The axe has slightly divergent and concave sides, expanding slightly near the blade edge. Three near parallel longitudinal ribs descend from the mouth moulding down both faces of the axe. Prominent casting flashes down the sides and around the loop indicate minimal preparation after casting. The blade edge is damaged but curved, with striations along the blade bevel, indicating some preparation of the blade for use. Much of the internal and external surfaces are covered with a black patination, worn surfaces and the blade edges having a grey-green patination.



2. South Wales-type socketed axe



Length 84.0mm, blade width 44.9mm, weight 211.4g.



This is a complete bronze axe with an outsplayed mouth moulding and a high loop. The axe has a sub-oval shaped mouth in plan, with four runner stubs, indicating a four runner casting technology. The axe has slightly divergent and concave shaped sides, expanding slightly near the blade edge. Three convergent longitudinal ribs descend from the mnouth moulding down both faces of the axe. Casting flashes survive down the sides and around the loop, indicating minimal preparation after casting. The blade edge is damaged but curved, with striations along the blade bevel, indicating some preparation of the blade for use. Some of the upper and internal surfaces are covered with a black patination, worn surfaces and the blade edges having a grey-green patination.
Notes: This small hoard was buried during the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age and dates to between 1000-800BC (Needham 1996; Needham et al 1997). South Wales -type axes were commonly made and used in south east Wales at this time (McNeil 1973, Fig. 9; Moore 1978; Savory 1980; Needham 1981). Over 30 hoards containing at least 140 examples are known from this region (e.g. Needham 1981; Gwilt 2004), making it the core areas within Britain for their burial within hoards. However, they were also made and used across south western and central southern England, with a few examples circulating as far as northern Britain, Ireland and northern France. The discovery of another similarly dated in the vicinity of this find-spot is interesting. This was found in 2005, some 358 metres to the north-west (Treasure Case 05.15 Wales). It contained nineteen artefacts, including sword fragments, an end-winged axe, South Wales-type socketed axes, a faceted axe, a casting jet and ingot fragments and is now displayed at the National Museum Cardiff (Museum Accession Number 2007.18H). It suggests that these bronze hoards were carefully buried during ritual acts, located at this significant place in the landscape, away from known settlements of the time.