Casgliadau Arlein

Bronze axe-chisel (Class 3). This is a complete slender axe-chisel in good condition, with original surfaces surviving over the majority of the artefact. The axe-chisel is narrow butted and lenticular in profile. The sides of the axe-chisel are gently concave, expanding modestly from the butt to the blade end. The butt of the axe-chisel is curved with a low arch. There is no central stop bevel on the axe-chisel faces. On the lower face, near the blade edge surface striations are evident, generally aligned parallel with the artefact long axis and suggesting it was prepared for use. The axe-chisel has a mottled and variable coloured patina, ranging from green, grey-green to green-brown. One face has appreciable surface concretions, which are black and brown in colour and this would appear to have been the surface which was laid directly against the flat axe (above). Along one upper side towards the butt end, there is a linear groove or scratch, which has exposed fresh bronze metal and this appears to be recent. There is a circular scar on one upper face, near the face-edge, which appears to have been created by being recently knocked, to remove an area of fragile original surface. Near the butt end and at the blade margins, there are small areas where original surfaces have been lost, revealing grey green areas of powdery sub-surface.