File:2017T486, Small Late Bronze Age hoard, Axe 2 (FindID 848142).jpg

Treasure Number:2017T486

Find Spot: 'Aspatria', Cumbria

PAS Database number: LANCUM-EF1727

Period: Late Bronze Age, 10^th-9^th century BC

Museum interest: Senhouse Roman Museum, Maryport or Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery Trust, Carlisle

Description:

Small hoard of three Late Bronze Age socketed axes, found all together. The axes are all of different sizes and with different socket shapes, but they all share a very similar mouth mouldings and the same heavy encrustation on the surface which obscures most of the decoration (if there was any). The crust seems to consist of both plant and corrosion materials and seems to have taken off some of the original patina.

Socketed axe (1):

Cast copper alloy socketed looped axe with rectangular mouth moulding which is aligned with the blade. The axe appears plain with possibly a double mouth moulding making it likely that it is an axe of Type Highfield (Schmidt and Burgess 1981, nos. 1016-1017; 1023). The surface is encrusted and a detailed analysis of wear is not possible in its current state. However, the flat sides, lack of casting seams and curved blade strongly suggested it was at least prepared for use.

Socketed axe (2):

Cast copper alloy socketed looped axe with oval mouth moulding which is aligned with the blade. The axe appears plain with possibly just a single mouth moulding and a number of thinner line mouldings around the upper part of the socket, making it likely that it is an axe of Type Highfield (Schmidt and Burgess 1981, nos. 1021-1022). The loop of this axe is set very low on the body of the axe. The surface is encrusted and a detailed analysis of wear is not possible in its current state. However, the flat sides, lack of casting seams and curved blade strongly suggested it was at least prepared for use.

Socketed axe (3):

Cast copper alloy socketed looped axe with oval mouth moulding which is aligned with the blade. The axe appears plain with possibly a double mouth moulding making it likely that it is a small axe of Type Highfield (Schmidt and Burgess 1981, nos. 1028; 1032). The surface is encrusted and a detailed analysis of wear is not possible in its current state. However, the flat sides, lack of casting seams and curved blade strongly suggested it was at least prepared for use. In addition, what remains of the blade feels very sharp to the touch.

Discussion:

Depositions of any number Late Bronze Age axes are a common occurrence, especially in South East England and East Anglia; they occur to a much lesser extent the North and are especially rare in North West England, even though in recent years four new Late Bronze Age hoards could be added to the corpus (see examples below). The general composition of the hoard from Aspatria with only socketed axes is not unusual as socketed axes are normally an important component of Late Bronze Age hoards (e.g. the hoard from Portfield Farm, Whalley, Lancashire; Schmidt and Burgess 1981, Plate 150B). Normally groups of other items are also included, such as spearheads, broken up sword blades, smaller tools or ornaments (e.g. the two hoards from Rampside, Cumbria: LANCUM-4118A0/ 2014T205 and LANCUM-428850/2013T598 and the hoard from Lancaster, Lancashire: LANCUM-A5AF1B/2016T518), but no other items were found in the vicinity of these three socketed axes which were all found in the same context.

Conclusion: Thus, in light of these parallels this small hoard qualifies as Treasure under the Amendment to the Treasure Act of 1996 (Category 2) which stipulates that any group of two or more metallic objects of any composition of any prehistoric date that come from the same find and found after 1 January 2003, qualify as Treasure under the Treasure Act.

References:

Schmidt, P.-K. and Burgess, C. 1981. The Axes of Northern England and Scotland. Prähistorische Bronzefunde Abteilung IX, 7. Band. Munich.

Dimensions:

Socketed axe (1): large, rectangular socket

Length: 88mm

Width blade: 54mm

Socket (inner-outer): 27-42mm

Socket (back-to-front, innter-outer): 25-37mm

Weight: 234g

Socketed axe (2): large, circular socket

Length: 77mm

Width blade: 53mm

Socket (inner-outer): 28-37mm

Socket (back-to-front, innter-outer): 25-36mm

Weight: 184g

Socketed axe (3): small

Length: 31mm

Width blade: 39mm

Socket (inner-outer): 18-25mm

Socket (back-to-front, innter-outer): 16-22mm

Weight: 55g

Author

Dr Dot Boughton

FLO (Cumbria/Lancashire)