Casgliadau Arlein

Bronze Age bronze socketed axe

Dimensions: surviving length 101.2mm; surviving width of blade 45.1mm; width below loop 38.2mm; surviving external mouth dimensions 42.2mm (side to side); surviving internal mouth dimensions 33.7mm; approx. depth of socket 73.2mm; surviving weight (prior to conservation) 200.4g.

This is a near-complete plain bronze socketed axe, missing the side-loop and approximately one-third of the upper and mouth. The sides of the axe are near-straight and parallel, with a slightly expanded and near-straight blade edge. The axe has well-rounded face edges, with a sub-rectangular shaped cross-section and mouth in plan-view. The mouth is defined by a narrow onset collar, with a slight negative step onto the upper faces of the axe. The loop is high-placed, the upper stub visible just below the onset collar. The casting seams are prominent but have been flattened, suggesting cursory hammering after the axe was cast. There are numerous scratches visible across the surfaces of the axe, likely caused whilst the axe was still buried. The upper break edges are angular with short sections of core-metal exposed, indicating that the damage was caused more recently, likely whilst the object was still buried or during its recent discovery and retrieval.

The axe has a brown patina. One face has suffered material damage across much of its surface, exposing light green powdery surfaces which are also visible across the blade edge, collar and mouth. Projecting bronze corrosion product is visible within the socket of the axe.

A small organic sample, possibly remnant wood, was retrieved from the socket of the axe, embedded within a small lump of bronze corrosion product. This possible organic sample has been retained for further sampling, should the situation arise.