Object: Hoard (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-1000 to -800)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Llanharan, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Rhondda Cynon Taf (Wales)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Description: Late Bronze Age hoard of two spearheads and five socketed axes.



1. Plain Pegged spearhead, with lanceolate blade
Dimensions: surviving length 146.3mm; maximum surviving blade width 44.7mm; surviving blade length 115.7mm; maximum surviving external diameter of socket 26.5mm (side to side) by 26.2mm (top to bottom); maximum surviving internal diameter of socket 21.2mm (side to side) by 21.1mm (top to bottom); surviving depth of socket approx. 93.0mm; diameter of peg-holes approx. 5.8mm; surviving weight 142.6g.

Lanceolate shaped pegged spearhead with incomplete socket below peg-holes. The blade has a pronounced central rib, which tapers markedly at the lower blade, rather than tapering evenly along the blade. The socket is slightly sub-angular at top, base and sides, giving a socket cross-section which is not perfectly circular and has very slight angles. The blade has bevelled edges and at the widest point of the blade, the wing to bevel outline appears to have a slight change of angle, from a continuous convex curve, however there is no break in the slightly convex curve of the upper blade. The spearhead is of medium length, with blade wings of modest width, but marked thickness. The casting seam on the socket is visible but has been carefully filed or hammered down. The peg-holes appear to be near circular, although only part of their diameters survive, as the socket and mouth end has been broken away across the peg-holes. On the blade wings and bevels, striations parallel with the rib and blade edges are evident, suggesting sharpening and preparing for use. The spearhead appears slightly bent in side-section, suggesting impact during use or retrieval from the ground. The artefact has a grey-green patina, with pale powdery green, tip, edges and at the socket break. On the lower blade surfaces there are patches of green and blue concretions.



2. Plain Pegged spearhead fragment, with lanceolate blade 
Dimensions: surviving length 134.8mm; maximum surviving blade width 40.5mm; surviving blade length 134.8mm; surviving internal diameter of midrib aperture at base of blade 16.1mm (side to side) by 14.7mm (top to bottom); surviving depth of socket approx. 84.0mm; surviving weight 113.8g.

Lanceolate shaped pegged spearhead blade, with tip and socket missing. The blade has a pronounced central rib, which tapers suddenly at the lower blade, rather than tapering evenly along the blade. The mid-rib aperture at the base of the blade is slightly oval, widest from side to side. Traces of blade bevels can be seen towards the base of the blade, however most have not survived. The spearhead was once of long and narrow proportions, longer than the other spearhead. Marked linear striations can be observed at the base margins of the mid-rib, and there are also less marked striations on the blade wings, with an alignment parallel to the mid-rib and blade edges. The spearhead has a green patina, with areas on light green powdery surface along blade-edges and breaks. Both blade surfaces have areas of copper carbonate concretions adhering.



3. South Wales Variant type socketed axe 
Dimensions: surviving length 100.8mm; surviving blade width 39.5mm; width below loop 39.5mm; surviving external mouth dimensions 49.6 by 38.2mm; internal mouth dimensions 31.7 by 28.6mm; depth of socket approx. 82.0mm; surviving weight 191.8g.

A near complete slender axe, with one face heavily damaged and missing original surfaces and unstable and heavily eroded blade edge and mouth. The axe has a prominent mouth moulding, from which a narrow loop descends. Three parallel ribs descend from the mouth moulding on each face, continuing down four-fifths of the remaining length of the blade, almost to the blade facet. The ribs are prominent but discontinuous, suggesting the mould pieces used to cast the axe were old. The face edges have also been raised, to give the effect of a five ribbed axe. The axe is rectangular in section, but slender, the sides of the axe parallel down to the damaged blade edge. The mouth is rectangular in shape and heavily eroded, making runner stubs difficult to discern, however one raised area, opposite the loop side, suggests a runner stub. The socket is misaligned with the exterior of the axe, with a small hole on one lower blade face indicating a differential thinning in wall thickness in places. The casting seams down both sides are prominent, but slightly blunted by hammering and the excess flashing within the loop was never trimmed, perhaps hinting that the axe may never have been used before being buried. Original surfaces have a green-brown patina, while eroded surfaces are light green, unstable and powdery. The axe is in poor state, showing laminating and cracking of original surfaces remaining. On the interior surface of the socket, there is an area of blue corrosion surface.



4. South Wales type socketed axe 
Dimensions: surviving length 92.6mm; surviving blade width 44.1mm; width below loop 37.1mm; external mouth dimensions 50.5 by 39.5mm; internal mouth dimensions 31.1 by 28.0mm; dimensions projecting runner stub (1) 9.7 by 5.4mm; height 1.0mm; dimensions runner scars (2) 8.6 by 4.1mm; (3) 6.7 by 4.1mm; depth of socket approx. 68.0mm; surviving weight 209.0g.

A near complete axe with broken loop with concave, diverging sides, flaring towards the blade end. The axe has a prominent mouth moulding from which the narrow loop descends. Three converging ribs descend from the moulding on each face, extending down two thirds of the surviving blade. These are ill-defined, but continuous ribs, hinting that the mould pieces used to cast this axe were old. The axe is sub rectangular in section, though the upper face edges are sub-rounded. The casting seams down each side are prominent, having only received cursory hammering preparation, while the flash beneath the loop was never trimmed, suggesting the axe may never have been used before being buried. The heavy mouth is sub-oval in external plan, while the internal aperture is sub-rectangular. One runner stub and two runner scars are evident around the mouth, indicating a four-runner casting technology. Along the surviving blade facet on both sides, there are striations running parallel with the blade edge, suggesting some preparation of the blade took place. Across the mid to lower end of one face, a structural crack is evident, running parallel with mouth and blade edge and continuing as far as the mid-point casting seam. This appears to have been a failure in the casting process, relating to one half of the mould. A further crack descends from the mouth down the same face, but this may have been damage caused since burial. On the reverse side, there are two small surface pits, suggesting air bubbles trapped within the original casting. The original surfaces of the axe have a grey-green patina, while the blade edge, parts of the mouth, loop break and small areas of faces have powdery light-green eroded surfaces.



5. Ribbed socketed axe fragment 
Dimensions: surviving length 97.1mm; surviving blade width 48.2mm; width below loop 38.9mm; internal mouth dimensions at break approx. 32.6 by 27.3mm; depth of socket approx. 70.0mm; surviving weight 172.6g.

Large axe fragment missing mouth and loop. The sides are concave, flaring outwards slightly towards the blade end. The axe has a markedly rounded body, with an oval shaped cross-section and rounded face edges. Near the break, there is evidence of a flared mouth-moulding, but this is subtle and faint, rather than prominent. Three well-defined and near parallel ribs descend from the moulding down both faces of the blades, extending down three-quarters of the length of the surviving blade. Between these ribs there are feint and smooth ridges and grooves in the surfaces, aligned parallel with the ribs. These indicate probable shaping irregularities in the walls of the mould halves used to cast this axe. The casting seams down each side are visible, but have been hammered down and on one side, hammer facets can be observed along the surface. On one side, where original surface survives, striations can been seen on the blade facet running parallel with the blade edge, suggesting the blade was prepared. The original surfaces of the axe have a green-brown patina, while the upper face, upper break and blade edges have powdery light-green eroded surfaces. In the lower socket, there are green surface carbonate concretions on one side.



6. Ribbed socketed axe fragment - probable South Wales type 
Dimensions: surviving length 88.1mm; surviving blade width 43.8mm; width below loop 38.6mm; depth of socket approx. 70.0mm; surviving weight 130.7g.

Large fragment of a ribbed socketed axe, missing one side, mouth and loop. The axe has straight and slightly divergent sides, with slight expanding at the blade end. The axe has a blocky and rectangular shaped body in cross-section, and angled face edges, with a prominent out-splayed mouth moulding. Three convergent ribs descend from the underside of the prominent mouth moulding on the surviving face, and extending down three quarters of the surviving length of the blade. On the opposite face, the ends of three ribs can be seen just below the break point. The casting seams are visible down both sides of the axe, through were hammered down, while a lower loop stub survives on one side. Slight denting to the blade surface, just below the break on one side hints at the possibility that this axe may have been broken through hammering prior to burial and the break edges here are non-eroded and soil covered. Large parts of the face have a black surface patina, possibly deliberately coloured and applied by the makers. The lower blade has a grey-green patina, while the blade edge and parts of the mouth have powdery light-green eroded surfaces. On the mouth, one small area of break shows exposed and fresh bronze, suggesting the mouth was clipped and accidentally broken by the finder during its retrieval.



7. South Wales type socketed axe 
Dimensions: surviving length 91.3mm; surviving blade width 40.3mm; width below loop 40.1mm; surviving external mouth dimensions 52.3 by (36.5)mm; surviving internal mouth dimensions 35.3 by (25.4mm); dimensions projecting runner stubs (1) 9.7 by 4.8mm; height 1.0mm; (2) 9.2 by 4.7mm; height 0.5mm; depth of socket approx. 56.0mm; surviving weight 227.9g.

Near complete socketed axe, missing part of mouth and original blade edge, with slightly divergent but straight sides and a rectangular shaped cross-section. The axe has a prominent mouth moulding, from which a narrow loop descends. Three near parallel ribs descend from the mouth moulding on each face. On one face, the ribs are short, extending less than half the length of the surviving blade, while on the other, the ribs are slightly placed at an angle to the side faces and are longer, descending down two-thirds of the surviving length of the blade. The ribs are not well-defined, suggested that the mould parts used to cast this axe were old. The heavy mouth has an oval-shaped exterior edge, while the interior aperture is sub-rectangular with rounded edges. Two runner stubs survive at 90 degrees to each other, indicating this axe was cast with a four-runner casting technology. The casting seams are prominent down both sides of the axe, but were briefly hammered down to remove sharp edges. On one side, there are angled striations on the lower blade surface, but these were probably created after burial, rather than being evidence for preparation of the axe for use. The original surfaces have a grey-green patina, while there are areas of powdery light-green surface around the mouth, along the blade edge and in eroded patches on one lower blade face.
Notes: The two bronze spearheads (Nos. 1 & 2, above) may be identified as of the Plain Pegged spearhead form with lanceolate blades. Plain Pegged spearheads, as an artefact class, generally span in date from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age and dating to between 1300-800BC (e.g. Greenwell and Brewis 1909, 463; Ehrenberg 1977, 3, 13-14 & Fig. 1; O'Connor 1980, 100-101, 138-41; Northover unpublished, 271, 283). In Wales, early examples of similar Plain Pegged socketed spearheads are found in the Penard, Guilsfield and Princetown hoards, the first dating to 1300-1150BC and the second and third dating to 1020-920BC (Barnwell 1864; Savory 1965; 1972; 1980, 117-19, Cats. 266, 268 & 272; Figs. 32-8 & 40). However, they become most common as associations within hoards of slightly later Ewart Park date, dating to 1000-800BC. The wooden hafts of a number of Plain Pegged spearheads in England have also been radiocarbon dated to the Ewart Park period (Needham et al 1997, 93-8). Therefore, these spearheads are thought on stylistic grounds to date to the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age, between 1000BC and 800BC (Needham 1996, 136-7 & Fig. 3).

Three of the socketed axes reported may be identified as South Wales Type socketed axes or Variant forms (No. 3, 4 & 7, above), while another fragment is probably part of another South Wales type socketed axe (No. 6, above). The combination of out-splayed mouth, high placed and ephemeral loop, blocky rectangular form, ribs descending from the underside of the collar and poorly finished state following casting are all diagnostic elements, in combination helping to identify it to this type (e.g. Needham 1981, 31; Northover unpublished, 259-60; Burgess 2012, 239 & Fig. 1). These socketed axes and their Variant forms a frequent and dominating element within Ewart Park hoards of Late Bronze Age date across south-east Wales (e.g. McNeil 1973, Fig. 9; Moore 1978; Savory 1980, 49, 120-2; Needham 1981; Gwilt 2004).



One ribbed axe fragment (No. 5, above) is not entirely diagnostic to type, missing its mouth and loop. Its rounded body and oval-shaped cross-section, together with a gradually flaring mouth, without a step-change in slope, are features which suggest that this was not a South Wales Type socketed axe of classic form, although it is possible that this may have been from a South Wales Variant form. Alternatively, it is equally possible that this may once have been an example of a Class B - Southern English ribbed axe, of B3 form with three ribs and trumpet-mouthed (Needham 1990, 33 & 36, Fig. 4.23).



Authors



Adam Gwilt - Principal Curator: Prehistory, Department of History & Archaeology, Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales



Mark Lodwick - Portable Antiquities Scheme Wales (PAS Cymru) Co-ordinator



Steve Sell - Volunteer Finds Liaison Officer, Formerly Archaeology Project Officer at Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Subsequent action: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure