Object: Socketed Axehead (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to  (-1000 to -800)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Brearton, Harrogate, North Yorkshire (Yorkshire and the Humber)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Length: 67.95 mm
Thickness: 34.38 mm
Weight: 146.46 g
Description: An almost intact cast copper alloy socketed axe of Late Bronze Age date (1000 - 800 BC). The axe is almost complete with just one corner of the cutting edge (blade tip) missing. The break is patinated and worn.


The axe is sub rectangular in plan, with the cutting edge   expanding outwards to form an convex cutting edge which is wider than the rest of the axe. The socket has a sub square mouth (internal width 26.51mm,  internal length 22.33mm, external  width 37.8mm, external length 34.8 mm and the wall of the mouth is 5-6mm thick). The socket is 48.72mm deep and the insides are smooth. There is a moulded collar round the mouth. On the front and back of the axe, three faint ribs extend along the socket towards the blade. There is a plain gap between the start of the ribs and the mouth moulding of about 5-6mm. The ribs fade out before the sides of the axe start to expand to form the cutting edge. There is one rib along each side of the two main faces, and one along the centre. They are rounded in section. The front and back faces of the axe are very slightly faceted at the socket end, changing in angle at the central rib. The sides of the axe have a pronounced castling seam along the centre of each. The sides are also very slightly faceted, changing in angle at the seams. These slight facets make the socket sub octagonal in section. Both sides of the axe are sub triangular in plan with the apex of the   triangle  being the point of the blade. The blade is slightly  bevelled. The collar round the mouth is 7mm wide and the corners between  the front and back and sides of the axe are rounded.


One side of the axe exhibits a semi circular moulded side  loop (18.44mm  length, 8.6mm wide, 4.4mm thick and projects 7.8mm  away from the  surface of the axe), in parallel alignment to the blade.  The loop is placed low down, the upper end emerging from immediately below the collar. A  casting seam runs the  length of the axe from the  socket mouth to the side of the blade, and over the loop. The inside of the loop  exhibits another casting seam. The casting seams do not appear to have been completely  hammered, filed and smoothed. Between the loop and the blade, nearer the loop, is a small sub-circular hole through the wall of the socket. It appears to have been formed from the outside, as the sides of the hole are angled so the hole is bigger on the outside.


The axe is a mid green to dark brown colour, with an uneven surface patina and areas of roughness.  The original surface has been removed in a couple of areas.


A very similar axe is NMS-BE9687.


Peter Reavill comments that the axe fits with the Type Yorkshire (Schmidt and Burgess), which is a very large class starting in the Wiburton /  Wallington period into the Ewart Park phase. This fits with metalworking phases X - XII, or Needham Periods 6-7, dating from about  1150-750 CAL BC. This axe is likely to date from about 1000 - 800 BC.
Subsequent action: Returned to finder