LOT 0252

British Bronze Age 'The Manston Hoard' Palstave Axehead

14TH-MID 12TH CENTURY B.C.

7 1/4 in. (505 grams, 18.5 cm).

A substantial bronze palstave axehead from the Manston hoard pit deposit, triangular flanges rise from the butt to the stop bar; a hollow to both faces below the septum; narrow body expanding to a wide triangular blade with slight flare at the tips.

Found near Manston, Kent, UK, 2016.

Accompanied by copies of the British Museum PAS report number KENT-495597.
Accompanied by a copy of a Treasure Act documentation under Treasure Reference 2016 T618.

See Portable Antiquities Scheme, reference PAS KENT-495597, for this find.

See Evans, J., The Ancient Bronze Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain and Ireland, London, 1881, pp.76-84, and figs.56-68, for similar types; Rowlands, M.J., The Production and Distribution of Metalwork in the Middle Bronze Age in Southern Britain, Oxford, 1976.

At Manston was found a hoard of ten copper-alloy palstave axeheads, in one spot, described as 'one hole' and therefore possibly a pit deposit from the Middle-Late Bronze Age. A similar hoard of palstaves was also found in the immediate vicinity by the same finder at a later date, see PAS KENT-593613. These palstaves are comparable to those placed within Rowlands 'class 3 group 1', characterised by a U-shaped septum profile, low triangular or slightly convex flanges, a straight sided triangular or crinoline blade and a triangular depression or ribbed motif beneath the stop bar (Rowlands 1976, pp.32-33). Group 1 and 2 within class 3 are divided based on blade width, being 7-8cm and 5-6cm respectively, placing the above axes between the two, but probably within group 1.