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 ribbed socketed axe of bronze, missing two-thirds of its cutting edge. The axe has slightly concave sides which diverge slightly towards the blade end, expanding slightly outwards to form a slightly expanded blade and slightly curved cutting edge. The body is hexagonal in cross-section, with a sub-rectangular shaped mouth. The remains of four runner stubs are visible around the socket mouth. The axe has a prominent and narrow mouth moulding, from which a narrow loop descends. Three parallel and longitudinal ribs descend from the base of the mouth moulding, extending two-thirds down the length of each face and the face edges are slightly raised giving an added ribbed effect. The majority of the cutting edge is missing, with the break edges appearing well eroded. 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.