# The Archaeometallurgical Evaluation of Three Bronze Socketed Axes, Discovered in Eastern Romania
## 2 Materials and Methods
### Description of the Artifacts
The cutting edge is slightly arched and shows, like the other socketed axe, visible use wear marks. The entire surface of the item is covered with a blue-azure patina, with small white areas of stannite, below malachite green and tenorite black layers, over which there are grey nanotokite crusts. From a typological point of view, this artifact was attributed to the Cozia-Saharna type [28], and according to the scheme proposed by [PERSON] it has correspondences in the group of socketed axes with trapezoidal facets and vertical ribs [22]. The best analogies for this socketed axe are found at Brza Palanca, Serbia [22]; Jupalnic, Mehedinti county, Romania [22; 29]; and Pietrosu, Buzau county, Romania [22; 29]. Considering the fact that similar specimens have been identified in the middle part of the Danube, it is supposed that this item also originated in that area and it could have reached the submontane area of Neamt, either through the mountain passes towards Transylvania or through the curve of the Carpathians. On the basis of the abovementioned analogies, but also in the absence of a clear archaeological context, for the item from Targu Neamt we can admit a dating as from the beginning of the Early Iron Age, at the Ha A2-Ha B2 level (Hallstattzeit); from a cultural point of view, it must be associated with the Corlateni-Chisinau Culture (11 th-9 th c. BCE) [30]. Socketed axe C (Figure 1C), inventory no. 4650, was accidentally discovered on the territory of the village of Tibucani, Neamt county, Romania [23]. It is a small specimen with an elongated body. The piece has a length of 78 mm, 0.54 kg weight, a blade width of 37 mm, the diameter of the fixing orifice is 20 mm \(\times\) 14 mm, the depth of the fixing orifice is 50 mm, the length of the attachment loop is 21 mm and its diameter is 2 mm. The upper edge is straight, slightly thickened and oval in plan. The item was provided with an attachment loop, broken during the period of use. Below the upper edge there are three horizontal ribs. The lower part of the item is flared, and the cutting edge is slightly arched. The surface of the artifact is covered with a black tenorite layer, uniform in thickness, which contains superficially dispersed small spots of azurite and malachite, over which there are brown-gray crusts of nanotokite. The main analogies for this artifact are found in bronze deposits and singular discoveries, such as those from Radeni, Neamt county, Romania [23]; Floreni, Vaslui county, Romania [31]; Sambata Noua, Tulcea county, Romania [29]; Techringhiol, Constanta county, Romania [29]; Capusu de Campie, Mures county, Romania [29]; Rusi, Sibiu county, Romania [32]; Iara II, Cluj county, Romania [29]; Boldesti, Prahova county, Romania [29]; Ciunga, Alba county, Romania [33]; Obreja, Alba county, Romania [34]; Valea Mare, Vaslui county, Romania [34]; and Dupliska, Ukraine [35]. Similar examples are known at the level of the Gyermely and Hajduboszormeny bronze deposits horizons, as shown by specimens from Szendrolad, Hungary [36]; Jaszkarajeno, Hungary [36]; Balmazujvaros, Hungary [37]; Nadudvar-Bojarhollos, Hungary [37]; and Polgar, Hungary [37]. On the basis of the abovementioned analogies, the item from Tibucani can be framed chronologically in the Early Iron Age, between Ha B1 and Ha B2, or even in Ha B3 (Hallstattzeit), in the 10 th-8 th c. BCE.