Object: Hoard (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-950 to -750)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Colwinston, the Vale of Glamorgan, the Vale of Glamorgan (Wales)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Description: A Late Bronze Age hoard comprising eleven objects:



1. South Wales Type ribbed socketed axe 



Dimensions: length 98.1mm; blade width 56.1mm; external mouth dimensions 50.1 by 39.6mm; internal mouth dimensions 32.1 by 25.6mm; depth of socket approx. 64mm; width body below loop 36.7mm; dimensions projecting runner stubs (1) 7.9 by 2.3mm; height 0.5mm; (2) 8.6 by2.8mm; height 0.1mm; (3) 7.7 by 2.6mm; height 0.1mm; dimensions negative runner scar (4) 6.4 by 2.7mm; weight 270.0g



A complete bronze socketed axe with a prominent out-splayed mouth moulding and a rectangular shaped body in cross-section. The axe has slightly concave and slightly divergent sides with splaying of the blade edge. The loop is high and narrow, descending from the mouth moulding. The axe has a four-runner casting technology, the runners spaced approximately 90 degrees apart, although slightly offset, rather than centrally placed along each side. Three of the runners are projecting stubs, while the other is visible as a negative scar. The exterior and interior outlines of the mouth are oval in plan. Three longitudinal, prominent and convergent ribs descend from the mouth moulding on each face. On the outer non-loop side there is a slight mismatch in the mould pairing, one side of the mould slightly wider than the other. The casting seams are prominent but blunt, suggesting rapid hammering of the excess after casting. Striations parallel with the curved blade edge indicate it was sharpened for use. Patches of blue corrosion products on both faces suggest that the axe may have been burnt immediately before burial. The axe has large areas of black patination on the upper surfaces, while the blade end and bevel has a grey-green patination



2. South Wales Type ribbed socketed axe



Dimensions: length 101.5mm; blade width 55.8mm; external mouth dimensions 51.0 by 41.5mm; internal mouth dimensions 33.9 by 28.5mm; depth of socket approx. 74mm; width body below loop 38.9mm; dimensions projecting runner stubs (1) 8.4 by 4.7mm; height 0.3mm; (2) 7.8 by 4.3mm; height 0.2mm; (3) 9.3 by 4.9mm; height 3.0mm; (4) 10.5 by 4.0mm; height 1.5mm; weight 314.6g.



A complete bronze socketed axe with a prominent and out-splayed mouth moulding and a rectangular shaped body in cross-section. The axe has straight and slightly divergent sides with pronounced splaying and recurving of the blade edge. The loop is high and narrow, descending from the mouth moulding. The axe has a four-runner casting technology, the runners approximately 90 degrees apart. All four runners are projecting stubs. The exterior and interior outlines of the mouth are oval in plan. Three longitudinal and slightly convergent ribs descend from the mouth moulding on each face and the face sides are defined and angular. The ribs are not continuous or well defined, suggesting the axe was cast in a re-used stone mould. The casting seams are prominent but blunt, suggesting rapid hammering of the excess after casting. There is a slight casting flaw, indicated by a projecting linear ridge extending from the underside of the loop on the side surface of the axe. Hammer facets are visible on the upper blade bevel, while striations parallel with the markedly curved blade edge, indicating that the axe was prepared and sharpened for use. On the upper blade surfaces, the axe has a black patination, while at the blade end, the axe has a grey-green patination, with an area of bronze metal showing through on one blade bevel. A small organic sample, possibly remnant wood, was retrieved from the socket of the axe, when the soil was removed from the axe's socket in the archaeological conservation laboratory (MD).



3. South Wales Type ribbed socketed axe (found associated with blade fragment 9)



Dimensions: length 105.1mm; blade width 53.1mm; external mouth dimensions 54.6 by 45.5mm; internal mouth dimensions 36.0 by 32.2mm; depth of socket approx. 75mm; width body below loop 41.3mm; dimensions of projecting runner stubs (1) 9.3 by 3.7mm; height 1.0mm; (2) 7.8 by 2.9mm; height 0.1mm; weight 311.0g.



A complete bronze socketed axe with damage and splitting of the mouth and down the non loop side, with further slight cracking on the mouth. The axe has a prominent mouth moulding and a rectangular shaped body in cross-section. The axe has near straight and slightly divergent sides with little splaying at the blade end. The loop is high and narrow, descending from the mouth moulding. Two projecting runner stubs are visible at 90 degree angles from each other, suggesting the axe had a four runner casting technology, even though two of the runners are no longer visible. The exterior and interior outlines of the mouth are sub-rectangular in plan. Three longitudinal and slightly convergent ribs descend from the mouth moulding on each face. The ribs are discontinuous on one face, suggesting the axe was cast in a re-used stone mould. The casting seams are prominent but blunt, suggesting rapid hammering of the excess after casting. Some mismatching of the mould halves is evident, with the sides of the loop misaligned and also a misalignment down the non-loop side of the axe, making one side stand proud of the other. In two places immediately below the mouth moulding, and in one place on an upper face, there are small holes in the axe wall, indicating further casting imperfections. Hammer facets are visible on the upper blade bevel on one side, while striations on both sides parallel with the blade edge indicate that the axe was sharpened for use. The axe has a grey-green patination, except on the blade bevels which have a lighter green patination.



4. South Wales Variant Type ribbed socketed axe



Dimensions: length 93.7mm; surviving blade width 40.2mm; external mouth dimensions 39.8 by 31.2mm; internal mouth dimensions 27.5 by 20.5mm; depth of socket approx. 67mm; width body below loop 32.1mm; weight 223.1g.



A near complete slender, bronze socketed axe, with damage to part of the blade edge. The axe has a deep mouth moulding, verging on a collar, and a sub-rectangular cross-section. The axe has near straight but slightly divergent sides with only very slight splaying at the blade end. The loop is narrow, but low, descending from the underside of the mouth moulding. There are no runner stubs or scars around the mouth. Small amounts of projecting excess metal are found around the inner rim of the mouth and at the joining points between the outer mould pairing. The exterior and interior outlines of the mouth are sub-rectangular in plan. Three longitudinal and parallel ribs descend from the mouth moulding on each face. These are prominent and well-defined. The casting seams are narrow, projecting and blunt, suggesting rapid hammering of the excess after casting. The surfaces have a few small vesicles or hollows on upper faces, slight surface casting imperfections. There are striations on the blade bevels running parallel with the blade edge, indicating that the axe was sharpened for use. The axe has a grey green patination, with bronze metal showing though on one lower face, blade bevels and on the ribs. A small organic sample, possibly remnant wood, was retrieved from the socket of the axe, when the soil was removed from the axe's socket in the archaeological conservation laboratory (MD).



5. Croxton Type ribbed socketed axe (fragment 11 is wedged in the axe socket)



Dimensions: surviving length 103.7mm; blade width 54.9mm; external mouth dimensions 48.2 by 41.2mm; internal mouth dimensions 32.8 by 28.3mm; depth of socket approx. 76mm; width body below loop 41.5mm; combined weight (with fragment 11) 303.2g.



A near complete bronze socketed axe, with a damaged blade edge. The axe has a deep and near flat, onset collar, with no marked flaring of the mouth. The axe is oval in cross section with rounded face edges. The axe has straight and slightly divergent sides, before flaring outwards at the deep blade bevel, though without any recurving of the blade edge. The loop is relatively wide and placed low, descending from the underside of the deep collar. Projecting, but possibly filed down, metal excess is found around the inner rim of the mouth and at the joining points between the mould halves. There are no runner stubs or scars around the mouth. The exterior and interior outlines of the mouth are oval in plan. Three longitudinal and near parallel ribs descend from the underside of the collar. The casting seams are prominent but blunted, suggesting hammering or partial filing of the excess after casting. There are small vesicles in the surface on one face and on one side of the mouth rim of the axe, which are slight surface casting imperfections. On one face, hammer marks are visible on the upper blade bevel. Striations parallel to the blade edge indicate that this axe was sharpened for use. The axe has a light grey green patination on one side, grading to a darker grey green on the other. Immediately beneath the onset collar, on one face, is a small patch of blue surface corrosion product, suggesting that the axe may have been burnt immediately before burial. At the base of the socket of the axe, is wedged a mouth fragment of another socketed axe (number 11, below), preventing an accurate weight for this complete axe to be established.



6. Croxton Type ribbed socketed axe (fragment 10 is wedged in the axe socket)



Dimensions: length 116.8mm; blade width 51.5mm; external mouth dimensions 45.4 by 38.5mm; internal mouth dimensions 34.6 by 28.1mm; depth of socket approx. 73mm; width body below loop 40.3mm; dimensions of projecting runner stub 10.9 by 3.4mm, height 1mm; combined weight (with fragment 10) 434.2g.



A complete slender and heavy bronze socketed axe with slight damage to one side of the blade edge. The axe has a deep but ill-defined collar, with no marked flaring at the mouth. The axe is sub-rectangular to hexagonal in cross-section with rounded face edges. There is slight angling and narrowing from the side casting-seams to the face edges, giving a slightly hexagonal cross-section to the axe. The axe has slightly concave sides, diverging and flaring slightly towards the blade end. Although there is no marked recurving of the blade edge, the blade bevel flares outward slightly. The loop is relatively wide and placed low, descending from the underside of the deep but ill-defined collar. Around the inner rim of the mouth and at the joining points between the mould halves, there is slight excess projecting metal, which does not look to have been filed or hammered down. A distinct widening of excess metal on an inner face may indicate the location of a single visible runner stub. The exterior and interior outlines of the mouth are sub-rectangular in form. Three longitudinal ribs descend down both faces of the axe. Unusually, the ribs project above the collar edge and into the lower collar zone, rather than emerging from the underside of the collar. On one face the three ribs are slightly convergent down the blade face, but on the other face there is a convex form with 'bulging' outwards in the middle areas of the ribs. The casting seams are prominent but blunted, suggesting rapid hammering of the excess after casting. Hammer marks and longitudinal striations are visible on the upper blade surfaces, while the blade bevels have striations parallel with the blade edge, indicating that the blade was prepared and sharpened for use. On one face edge, on the non-loop side, there are repeated blunt dent marks 2-3mm long and 10.5-1mm wide, in parallel sequence and at right angles to the side of the axe. A few further and similar dent marks are visible cross-cutting through the descending ribs on the same axe face. The axe has a dark grey patination on the mouth and upper end, while bronze metal is revealed over most areas of the lower and blade end. At the base of the socket of the axe, is wedged a side and face fragment from a mid-section of another socketed axe (number 10 below), preventing an accurate weight for this complete axe to be established.



7. Breiddin Type (Southern English ribbed - Class B4 / Welby Type) ribbed socketed axe



Dimensions: length 84.6mm; blade width 45.4mm; external mouth dimensions 39.5 by 37.2mm; internal mouth dimensions 28.2 by25.5mm; depth of socket approx. 67mm; width body below loop 30.1mm; weight 168.4g.



A complete small and slender bronze socketed axe with a swollen and everted mouth moulding and a rectangular shaped cross-section. The sides of the axe are straight but divergent with significant widening and recurving at the blade end. The loop is wide and low placed, descending from a lower horizontal moulding. The exterior and interior outlines of the mouth are sub-rectangular in form and the mouth is almost as deep as it is wide. The rim of the mouth is rounded and worn, with no clear runner stubs identifiable. Three longitudinal ribs descend from the underside of the mouth moulding, around one third of the length of each face. The ribs, like the mouth moulding are poorly defined and are narrowly spaced. On one face the ribs are parallel, while on the other, they are slightly divergent. The casting seams, though visible, appear to have been carefully and neatly hammered or filed down. On the loop side, around the upper point of insertion of the loop, there is a curving hole in the axe wall, around 13-14mm long and 3-4mm wide, indicating a casting flaw. The upper blade bevel has been heavily hammered, with hammer marks creating marked flattening and tapering. Striations both parallel with the blade edge and at right angles to the blade indicate that the axe was sharpened for use. The blade edge is markedly deep and curved, with slight damage on the loop side. The blade edge is asymmetric in shape, with lower and more pronounced recurving on the loop side, suggesting long-usage and repeated re-working and sharpening of the blade. Overall, the axe has a grey green patination, although on the upper blade and mouth end, there are patches of black patination, while on the blade bevel, the patina is light grey-green. On one face and the loop side are areas of green and dark blue concretions, suggesting that the axe may have been burnt immediately before burial.



8. Late Palstave of Type Isleham -ribbed form



Dimensions: surviving length 145.2mm; surviving blade width 37.8mm; surviving blade length approx. 82mm; surviving length of butt to stop approx. 59mm; width of butt at break 21.8mm; body width below loop 22.0mm; maximum thickness at stop 32.1mm; stop heights (1) approx.11mm; (2) approx. 10mm; surviving weight 354.7g.



A near complete, slender bronze palstave with a narrow blade. The palstave has a broken butt end and damage to the blade edge. The palstave widens very slightly from the butt end towards the stop, with a nipped-in waist under the stop. The blade sides are slightly concave and divergent, with slight flaring at the blade edge but no recurving of the blade evident. The stop is sub-rectangular and high, projecting in exaggerated fashion at near right angles to the axis in side view. On one face, there is a slight casting flaw where the stop does not project to full height. This shows as a central 'stepped shallowing' of the stop along a 10mm length, and by approximately 2-3mm in height. The flanges are convex in shape, meeting the septum approximately 17mm from the broken butt end. Descending from the stop on each face are three longitudinal and parallel ribs. These are short, extending only 20-22mm down the upper blade faces. Unusually, on each septum surface, there are also two longitudinal and parallel ribs, running parallel with the long axis. These extend from the stop approximately 43mm on one face, and approximately 31mm on the other, before being concealed by a corrosion patch. The casting flashes appear to have been carefully trimmed. Along each side, at the blade end, and below the waisting, slight faceting is visible either side of the central casting seam, 2.5-3.5mm from, and running parallel with the face edges. The loop is broad, one arm above and the other below the level of the stop. Four facets have been shaped onto this, parallel with the loop axis, giving a wide central face, with one wide, then one narrow facet to either side. There are striations running parallel to the blade edges, indicating that the palstave was sharpened for use. The palstave has a dark grey green patina over most areas, with a light grey-green blade bevel and small areas of light green corrosion on the stop, flange and butt end. On one upper blade face and septum, there are areas of green and dark blue concretion, suggesting that the palstave may have been burnt immediately before burial. The break on the butt of the palstave is not corroded but appears evenly covered with soil, suggesting the damage does not relate to the removal of the object from the ground, but may have occurred when a plough clipped the top of the implement at some time during the post-medieval period.



9. Socketed axe blade fragment - not diagnostic (associated with socketed axe 3)



Dimensions: surviving length 42.0mm; blade width 54.8mm; width at break 49.6mm; thickness at break 15.1mm; distance base of socket to blade edge 29.5mm; surviving depth of socket 12.5mm; surviving weight 109.5g.



Blade end fragment of a bronze socketed axe. The sides of the axe are divergent, with almost no flaring at the blade end and no recurving of the blade evident. The axes appears to have had a rectangular cross-section. The casting seams are prominent but blunted, suggesting rapid hammering of the excess after casting. There are striations, both parallel and at right angles to the blade edge, visible on the blade bevel suggesting it was sharpened for use. Slight indentations on the faces near to the break may be casting imperfections. The blade fragment has a grey patination, with areas of bronze showing through in places. Near the break and in the socket interior there are green corrosion patches, while on one face there are patches of dark blue corrosion, suggesting that this fragment may have been burnt immediately before burial.



10. Socketed axe side and mid blade face fragment - not diagnostic (wedged inside socketed axe number 6)



Dimensions: surviving length approximately 32mm; surviving thickness approx. 13mm; surviving width - less than 51mm; combined weight (with axe 6) 434.2g.



Side and face fragment from the mid section of a bronze socketed axe, securely wedged inside the socket of axe 6. The axe appears to have had a rectangular cross-section. The casting seam is prominent but blunted, suggesting rapid hammering of the excess after casting. It is not possible to determine whether the axe was plain or ribbed. The axe has a dark grey patination, with bronze showing on the casting seam and face edge.



11. Socketed axe mouth fragment - not diagnostic (wedged inside socketed axe number 5)



Dimensions: surviving length - less than 46mm; surviving width at mouth approx 23mm; surviving thickness at mouth approx. 13mm; combined weight (with axe 5) 303.2g.



Mouth, upper face and side fragment from a bronze socketed axe, securely wedged inside the socket of axe 5. The exterior outline of the mouth appears sub-rectangular, while the interior outline appears oval in shape. No runner stubs and no excess metal are visible on the surviving rim surface. It is not possible to determine whether the axe was plain or ribbed. The axe has a dark grey surface patination.
Subsequent action: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure