Casgliadau Arlein

Large ribbed socketed axe fragment missing mouth and loop. The sides are concave, flaring outwards slightly towards the blade end. The axe has a markedly rounded body, with an oval shaped cross-section and rounded face edges. Near the break, there is evidence of a flared mouth-moulding, but this is subtle and faint, rather than prominent. Three well-defined and near parallel ribs descend from the moulding down both faces of the blades, extending down three-quarters of the length of the surviving blade. Between these ribs there are feint and smooth ridges and grooves in the surfaces, aligned parallel with the ribs. These indicate probable shaping irregularities in the walls of the mould halves used to cast this axe. The casting seams down each side are visible, but have been hammered down and on one side, hammer facets can be observed along the surface. On one side, where original surface survives, striations can been seen on the blade facet running parallel with the blade edge, suggesting the blade was prepared. The original surfaces of the axe have a green-brown patina, while the upper face, upper break and blade edges have powdery light-green eroded surfaces. In the lower socket, there are green surface carbonate concretions on one side.