Casgliadau Arlein

One of a Hoard of twenty one bronze tools, weapons and ingot fragments dating to the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age (1000-800 BC)

This is a South Wales Type Variant socketed axe, bronze – upper body half fragment

An upper body half fragment of a ribbed socketed axe of bronze, missing the lower body and blade end. The sides of the axe appear straight and parallel, diverging slightly towards the break edge. The axe has a rectangular cross-section, with a sub-square shaped mouth in plan-view. The mouth is slightly angled and flat, slightly higher near the internal lip and with no runner stubs or scars evident. The axe has a prominent mouth moulding, verging on a collar, with flat and everted sides. A narrow loop descends from below the base of the collar. Three longitudinal and parallel ribs descend from the base of the collar. The irregular break edge is diagonal, higher on one side than the other, and was made in antiquity. Possibly burnt.

The hoard contains 13 axe heads, 1 palstave, 3 spearheads, 1 sword and 2 fragments from copper and leaded bronze ingots of Late Bronze Age (1150-800BC) dates. 1 additional post-medieval copper alloy object was found nearby but was probably mixed in by chance. The hoard was discovered on the south-eastward facing slope of a shallow valley with a view of the Bristol Channel. There was no obvious watercourse flowing nearby.