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 Collared Variant socketed axe, bronze – complete

A complete ribbed socketed axe of bronze, with a deep onset collar with flat faces and a slightly everted profile. The axe has upper sides that are near-straight and parallel which then curve outwards and diverge towards an expanded blade, with near crinoline shaped blade-edges. The body is sub-rectangular in cross-section with rounded edges, with a sub-oval shaped mouth in plan-view. The remains of a continuous casting flash is visible around the inner socket rim. A short loop of moderate width descends from the base of the collar zone. On each face, descending down two-thirds of the length of the axe, are three longitudinal and parallel ribs.

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.