File:Bronze Age palstave axe (FindID 765890).jpg

English: An almost complete cast copper alloy (bronze) palstave of Middle Bronze Age dating (c.1500 to c.1300 BC). Early or primary palstave of Group I - shield patterned type.

The palstave has a shield shaped pattern below the stop ridge, and raised flange facets. The blade of the palstave is sub-triangular in plan, with convex expanding sides, and a convex cutting edge. The cutting edge measures 3.5mm thick. In profile the blade is sub-triangular with the widest section being before the stop ridge. The blade (measured from the cutting edge to the stop ridge) is 96mm in length. The width of the cutting edge is 55mm. The thickness of the blade is 20mm (measured at a point below the stop ridge; the width at this point is 22mm).

Beneath the stop-ridge, on both sides of the palstave, is a concave depression, which is bordered by raised ridges. This is broadly sub-rectangular (U-shaped) and is probably an area of decoration, usually described as shield shaped. The shield shaped decoration is shallower and more worn on one face of the object.

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. At the stop ridge, the palstave measures 26mm thick and 21mm wide. The septum (the area between the flange facets and the stop ridge) is 55mm long, 17 mm wide and 9mm deep.

The septum on one face is infilled with soil however the remaining patina is too fragile for the compacted and dried on soil to be removed without advice from a conservator, therefore this has not been attempted during recording. The axehead has a mid greenish-brown patina where it remains however this has flaked away all along the cutting edge, in patches on the blade, flages and sides of the object. Where the patina is missing the object is a dusty light green colour indicating active corrosion is taking place. The butt end has been recently damaged and appears laminated with the layers of brown patina, light green and dark green corrosion and bronze core visible.

Similar examples to this palstave can be seen in: Savory, 1980; Catalogue of the Bronze Age collections in the National Museum of Wales; Fig 19-21 specifically example 144 from Llanguirig, Montgomeryshire (Powys). 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. The palstave axe fits best with the Acton Park II and Taunton metalworking assemblages (Needham Period 5) - both assemblages fit within Burgess's Metal Working Stage VIII and IX.

Burgess and Schmidt (1981: pp 117-125) explore the dating and known distribution of this form of early palstave which is relatively common in North Wales, The Marches and Cheshire plain.