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 socketed axe, bronze – near complete

A virtually complete and heavy ribbed socketed axe of bronze, with a slightly damaged blade edge and incomplete mouth. The axe is slender with near-straight and slightly divergent sides which lead towards a very slightly expanded blade, with a shallow curved cutting edge. The body is hexagonal in cross-section, with a sub- rectangular mouth with rounded corners. The axe has a prominent, everted and relatively wide mouth moulding which is incomplete, appearing slightly lopsided towards the non-loop side. A single circular runner stub is visible. Three parallel and longitudinal ribs descend from the base of the collar, extending down two thirds of the length of each face. The face edges are also raised on both sides, giving a further ribbing effect. Damaged blade-edge. 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 slope of a shallow valley, facing south-eastwards. There was no obvious watercourse flowing nearby.