Casgliadau Arlein

Ribbed socketed axe - probably South Wales Type. Large fragment of a ribbed socketed axe, missing one side, mouth and loop. The axe has straight and slightly divergent sides, with slight expanding at the blade end. The axe has a blocky and rectangular shaped body in cross-section, and angled face edges, with a prominent out-splayed mouth moulding. Three convergent ribs descend from the underside of the prominent mouth moulding on the surviving face, and extending down three quarters of the surviving length of the blade. On the opposite face, the ends of three ribs can be seen just below the break point. The casting seams are visible down both sides of the axe, through were hammered down, while a lower loop stub survives on one side. Slight denting to the blade surface, just below the break on one side hints at the possibility that this axe may have been broken through hammering prior to burial and the break edges here are non-eroded and soil covered. Large parts of the face have a black surface patina, possibly deliberately coloured and applied by the makers. The lower blade has a grey-green patina, while the blade edge and parts of the mouth have powdery light-green eroded surfaces. On the mouth, one small area of break shows exposed and fresh bronze, suggesting the mouth was clipped and accidentally broken by the finder during its retrieval.