Casgliadau Arlein

This is a complete ribbed bronze Socketed Axe of Croxton Type / Southern English ribbed B2/3 Type. It was found as part of a hoard alongside a sword fragment (2025.79H/1) and casting residues.

The hoard was found between two natural springs in the basin of the Ely River. It is among a number of other hoards from the Ely River (Pendoylan, Michaelstone-Super-Ely, St Fagans and Fairwater) and contributes to evidence suggesting the Ely River held a particular, possibly religious, local significance.

Diagnostic features of this axe include a deep onset collar with flared trumpet profile, but without a lower raised moulding. The three central ribs dow neach face, flanked by a further two as raised face-edges have close affinity with Needham's sub-type B2 Five ribbed and trumpet mouthed and B3 Three-ribbed and trumpet mouthed axes (Needham 1990, 32-6). The Croxton type is so named after a defining example found in Cheshire, within a wider frequency observed along the Welsh Marches (Northover n.d., 267). It is one form within a wider variety of Class B Southern English Ribbed axes, found in hoards and as single finds across southern Britain. They are almost always found within hoards dating to the Ewart Park phase (1000-800 BC) of the Late Bronze Age (Northover n.d., 267, Needham 1990, 38). Croxton Type socketed axes have been found in increasing numbers of hoards across south-east Wales in recent years, with examples in the Pendoylan, Llantwit Major, Wick Community, Tal-y-garn 1, Colwinston Community, and Llancarfan Community (all Vale of Glamorgan) hoards, as well as an additional example from the St Arvans (Monmouthshire) hoard (Storrie 1887; GGAT 1977-8; Metcalf & Lambert 1979; Savory 1980, Cats. 280 & 281; 1984, 441b; Northover n.d., H79 & H124; Gwilt 2004, Appendix 1, Cat. 10; Gwilt & Lodwick 2003; 2005; 2014; Lodwick & Gwilt 2007; Gwilt et al 2013).

The items were made from leaded bronze, which is typical for items of Late Bronze Age date.There was a trace presence of iron due to the iron rich soil.

Detailed Description; This is a small bronze socketed axe of slender form with an angular and rectangular shaped cross-section. The axe has a wide onset collar, 8.7mm deep, with a flaring trumpet-shaped profile. The mouth is sub-rectangular in plan shape and there is one projecting runner stub, slightly offset from centre along one upper face. The loop is high-placed and of medium thickness. The sides are straight and slightly divergent with pronounced recurving at the blade end, the axe having a convex blade edge. The axe has five decorative ribs descending from the onset collar, the outer ribs on each side forming raised face-edges to the axe and further adding to the pronounced angular edges. The ribs are continuous but feint and ill-defined along central and lower stretches. The side casting seams are visible but have been hammered or filed down. The axe has a brown patina on external surfaces. The internal socket wall has orange-brown, iron rich soil adhering to the surface and there are patches of light green powdery corrosion in places.