Casgliadau Arlein

Bronze Age goldworker's anvil of bronze

Dimensions: head length 45.5mm; head width 21.8mm; height of head 30.7mm; length of head at base 38.9mm; maximum surviving height 36.1mm; length of spike at break approx. 18.6mm; width of spike at break 10.3mm; diameter of side-stubs 4.8-5.7mm. surviving weight (prior to conservation) 174.1g.

This is a metalworker’s anvil of simple form comprising a rectangular shaped body in plan view, with a spike on the underside, broken in antiquity near to the point of insertion with the body. In cross-section, the body is pentagonal in shape, with a gable-roofed upper working surface. Widest at top, the straight sides taper inwards slightly to the base, to give a truncated wedge shape in side-profile. The top edge of each side-face has a slightly defined margin, comprising a slight projecting narrow-linear edge with an incised lower linear scoring, more defined on one face than the other.

A prominent and untrimmed casting seam around the mid-section indicates the anvil is as cast and was never used. The mould halves were uneven, one side deeper than the other. The casting seam is also asymmetrically placed to the line of the anvil faces, indicating each mould half had a shallow and a deeper end, with a corresponding opposite, ensuring the anvil had a consistent width when cast. The shallower half has a lower edge which is offset higher than the other half, indicating slightly mismatching mould components. On each side-face, located centrally is a projecting circular-sectioned stub (4.8-5.7mm in diameter), providing further information about the construction and geometry of the anvil mould components. As these project as cast and snapped off, with no hammering or filing down, this is further supporting evidence that the anvil was never prepared for use. The break-edges in the stake, though not highly eroded, are soil covered and with a green patina, suggesting a break in antiquity. The anvil has an overall grey-green patina with small patches of lighter green colouration.