Object: Palstave (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-1500 to -1150)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: Thorpe Constantine, Lichfield, Staffordshire (West Midlands)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Length: 148.24 mm
Thickness: 23.41 mm
Weight: 357 g
Description: A heavily abraded cast bronze un-looped palstave with central rib below the stop ridge and raised flange facets of Middle Bronze Age dating (1500 - 1100 BC).











The palstave measures 148.24mm in length, maximum surviving blade width is 52.95mm, socket width is 27.37mm and it is 23.41mm thick. It weighs 357 grams.


The blade of the palstave is sub-triangular in plan with convex expanding sides and a probable convex blade edge. The cutting edge has been lost. In profile the blade is sub-triangular with the widest section being in front of  the stop ridge. The surviving blade length (measured from the blade edge to the stop ridge) is 82.62mm,  and the surviving width of blade edge is 52.95mm. The thickness of the blade tip is 5.01mm. The maximum thickness of the blade is 14.60mm (measured at a point below the stop ridge; the width at this point is 29.89mm). Beneath the stop-ridge, on one side of the palstave, is a tapering central raised rib. This rib extends approximately half way down the length of the blade, the point of termination has been lost through abrasion. The surface on the other side has been lost through abrasion, it is possible that a shield shaped motif was present. The convex cutting edge of the blade is lost through corrosion, abrasion and probably wear. The exposed edge is asymmetric with one side of the blade being more worn than the other. This may be due to considerable movement in the ploughsoil and corrosion. 


The rear part of the axe (from the stop ridge to the butt) is sub-rectangular in plan and sub-triangular in section (profile) with the widest part behind the stop ridge. The septum (the area between the flange facets and the stop ridge) is 63.60mm long, 21.24mm wide and 6.20mm thick. The butt of the axe has been damaged and is incomplete. The width at the butt is 23.94mm. The flange facets are fused to the stop ridge forming two raised elements to haft the axe by. The facets on each side of the axe are similar to each other, however one side retains more of the original surface. Two air bubbles, or casting flaws, are present on the more abraded side.


The palstave is a light - mid green colour with areas of thick well formed patina and exposed areas of abraded metal. It is likely that abrasion and corrosion has spread and affected 40% of the surface of the axe. However, this corrosion seems to be relatively stable at present and relatively few areas of light green active powdery corrosion can be observed, mainly along the blade edge. These areas should be monitored to ensure that further active corrosion does not occur. The septum has retained the majority of the original surface patina, unlike more exposed areas, where it has flaked off due to abrasion.











This form and style of palstave fits into the Acton Park metal working tradition which is dated to the first phase of the Middle Bronze Age (MBA I) 1450-1250 BC, Needham's Period 5 (1500 - 1150 BC) (Needham, 1996, pp133). Several comparative examples of this type of palstave have been published. These consist of  #797, a Type Coed Llan related example from Yorkshire (Schmidt & Burgess, 1981, pp128); #650 from Bardon Hill, Leicestershire (Rowlands, 1976, pp315); #153 from St Fagans, Glamorgan (Savory, 1980, pp104) and #155 from Llanfedw, Glamorgan (Savory, 1980, pp105). Three similar examples have been recorded on the PAS database from Staffordshire (LVPL-3EFEA7 from Biddulph; WMID-AC04C7 from Cheadle; WMID-262202 from King's Bromley).











References:











Needham, S. (1996) Chronology and Periodisation in the British Bronze Age. Acta Archaeologia, vol 67, pp121-140











Rowlands, M.J. (1976) The Organisation of Middle Bronze Age Metalworking. British Archaeological Reports 3I(i) & (ii). Oxford.











Savory, H.N. (1981) Guide Catalogue of the Bronze Age Collections. National Museum of Wales, Cardiff.











Schmidt, P.K. & Burgess, C. B. (1981) The Axes of Scotland and Northern England. Prahistorische Bronzefunde. Abeiltung IX. Band 7.
Subsequent action: Returned to finder