Casgliadau Arlein

Plain socketed axe – Class A – South-eastern type (O)Complete but damaged plain socketed axe of slender form. The axe has a double mouth moulding, the upper being the most prominent. Both mouldings have even convex curves, whilst the mouth has a narrow and curved upper surface. A wide loop rises from the lower moulding. The mouth has a semi-rectangular internal and external shape, with rounded corners. One upper face and mouth has been torn and dented inward by a blow to the axe, which has removed an area of original artefact surface. It is not clear whether this happened in antiquity or the recent past. In addition, near vertical wall cracks (both interior and exterior) from the mouth to beneath the lower moulding are visible, although it is not clear when and how these were formed. The body of the axe is narrow and has a sub-rectangular cross section, whilst face edges are curved. The sides are slightly concave and diverge towards the blade end, expanding moderately to form a cutting edge. The casting seams are narrow, though projecting, probably having been hammer blunted soon after casting. The socket is deep and its base is even in shape. The blade edge is partly chipped and corroded, making its original width difficult to gauge, however it shows significant curvature and the blade bevel is covered with striations parallel to the blade edge. This indicates the blade was sharpened for use. Peck marks on one lower face may have been created in antiquity, whilst some surface scratches appear to have been created in the recent past, during or since removal from the ground. Virtually all surfaces have a dark green patina, corroded surfaces and edges being light green.