My oldest (metallic) find ever! Bronze age axe

[collectorconor]

Hi all
Went out to one of my permissions on Thursday morning, hoping to get an hour's detecting in between showers. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to find anything much. First signal was a little medallion/medal which said something like 38th Boston Encampt. (any ideas?)
Got a good signal a few minutes afterwards, dug down only about three or four inches, and I could not believe it when I saw this. I knew straight away what it was. A Bronze Age axe.


Well I wrapped it up carefully in tissue and marked the spot where it was found, and I went home. Later on, I cleaned it up with lukewarm water, just to get the muck off. Its a little beauty!! Although, the patina looks kind of weird for Bronze, doesn't it? I can assure you, though, that it is in fact bronze.
It is a Palstave axe head and from what I gather it is from the Middle Bronze Age, I have not looked into the exact date yet but it is something like 1200 BC??
I have scoured the net and I cannot seem to find an axehead with a similar socket, maybe I have unearthed a new type of axe!


Found in a field beside a Victorian house, and on quite boggy land.(maybe that explains why it was so shallow).



Thanks for looking, by far my oldest and best metallic find ever (I did find a Neolithic flint arrow head once)
Hard to believe that this is one of the first items that man made from metal.

VOTE BANNER!!!!!!
CollectorConor

By the way it will be reported to the museum when I get the chance

 

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[BYdetector90]

Hi all
Went out to one of my permissions on Thursday morning, hoping to get an hour's detecting in between showers. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to find anything much. First signal was a little medallion/medal which said something like 38th Boston Encampt. (any ideas?)
Got a good signal a few minutes afterwards, dug down only about three or four inches, and I could not believe it when I saw this. I knew straight away what it was. A Bronze Age axe.
<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892707"/>

Well I wrapped it up carefully in tissue and marked the spot where it was found, and I went home. Later on, I cleaned it up with lukewarm water, just to get the muck off. Its a little beauty!! Although, the patina looks kind of weird for Bronze, doesn't it? I can assure you, though, that it is in fact bronze.
It is a Palstave axe head and from what I gather it is from the Middle Bronze Age, I have not looked into the exact date yet but it is something like 1200 BC??
I have scoured the net and I cannot seem to find an axehead with a similar socket, maybe I have unearthed a new type of axe!

Found in a field beside a Victorian house, and on quite boggy land.(maybe that explains why it was so shallow).

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892716"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892717"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892718"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892719"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892720"/>

Thanks for looking, by far my oldest and best metallic find ever (I did find a Neolithic flint arrow head once)
Hard to believe that this is one of the first items that man made from metal.

VOTE BANNER!!!!!!
CollectorConor

By the way it will be reported to the museum when I get the chance

Just imagine the possiblitites of what that blade has cut.

 

[collectorconor]

To be honest I don't think it has cut much, the blade is in nice condition, people back then used to throw 'votive' offerings into lakes, bogs etc (found on quite waterlogged boggy land) so it could well be one of those. Amazing where it was found, I was expecting only to find Victorian pennies, etc, as it was near a Victorian house

 

[BYdetector90]

To be honest I don't think it has cut much, the blade is in nice condition, people back then used to throw 'votive' offerings into lakes, bogs etc (found on quite waterlogged boggy land) so it could well be one of those. Amazing where it was found, I was expecting only to find Victorian pennies, etc, as it was near a Victorian house

What area of the world?

 

[texasvarmit]

Hi all
Went out to one of my permissions on Thursday morning, hoping to get an hour's detecting in between showers. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to find anything much. First signal was a little medallion/medal which said something like 38th Boston Encampt. (any ideas?)
Got a good signal a few minutes afterwards, dug down only about three or four inches, and I could not believe it when I saw this. I knew straight away what it was. A Bronze Age axe.
View attachment 892707

Well I wrapped it up carefully in tissue and marked the spot where it was found, and I went home. Later on, I cleaned it up with lukewarm water, just to get the muck off. Its a little beauty!! Although, the patina looks kind of weird for Bronze, doesn't it? I can assure you, though, that it is in fact bronze.
It is a Palstave axe head and from what I gather it is from the Middle Bronze Age, I have not looked into the exact date yet but it is something like 1200 BC??
I have scoured the net and I cannot seem to find an axehead with a similar socket, maybe I have unearthed a new type of axe!


Found in a field beside a Victorian house, and on quite boggy land.(maybe that explains why it was so shallow).

View attachment 892716 View attachment 892717 View attachment 892718 View attachment 892719 View attachment 892720

Thanks for looking, by far my oldest and best metallic find ever (I did find a Neolithic flint arrow head once)
Hard to believe that this is one of the first items that man made from metal.

VOTE BANNER!!!!!!
CollectorConor

By the way it will be reported to the museum when I get the chance

Ireland? great finds friend! the bronze age axe is just amazing. you must get excited each time you look knowing the possibility of finding items of such antiquity!

 

[collectorconor]

Well to be honest I was giving up hope of finding even a hammered coin! Me trying to pull 300 years out of the ground and then I find this 3000 odd year old thing!! What a feeling! I have not saw an axe with this type of socket anywhere on the net,as I said, and I have searched all through the british museum and the irish museums databases. Maybe different areas of the country had their own styles of making them.

 

[CASPER-2]

 

[Rusted_Iron]

Now that is a find. The socket is definitely odd, kind of reminds me of a bark spud. Actually very much so. Makes me think this might not have been an "axe" specifically, but could have been designed for some other purpose. Maybe boat building? House building?

Congratulations on the find

EDIT: I looked again and see that it appears straight from above, but in a couple of the photos it looked as if the blade was curved away from the plane of an ordinary ax blade. Still reminds me of a bark spud, even though it's probably just the strange way Palstave axes were attached to the haft.

 

[Jayman931]

I know nothing about bronze age axes but wouldn't 4 inches by 1 inch 1/2 be a little small for an ax?

Also what country are you located in? I'm assuming across the pond from me. I hope it is a Bronze Age Ax! I'm rooting for ya!

 

[collectorconor]

Now that is a find. The socket is definitely odd, kind of reminds me of a bark spud. Actually very much so. Makes me think this might not have been an "axe" specifically, but could have been designed for some other purpose. Maybe boat building? House building?

Congratulations on the find

EDIT: I looked again and see that it appears straight from above, but in a couple of the photos it looked as if the blade was curved away from the plane of an ordinary ax blade. Still reminds me of a bark spud, even though it's probably just the strange way Palstave axes were attached to the haft.

Well its not a bark spud anyway!
Fourth row down, 2nd axe:


Defo a bronze age axe

 

[collectorconor]

Hi jayman, yes it is quite small, but ive looked into it, this is normal size.

 

[Rusted_Iron]

Well its not a bark spud anyway!
Fourth row down, 2nd axe:
View attachment 894153

Defo a bronze age axe

I guess it's not a new type of socket after all.

If a farmer found that old axe in my region, it would have been repurposed as a bark spud, LOL.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Very nice!

 

[Fitzwilk]

Awesome find.

 

[boomerlucas]

Well done, you just never know Haha, congrats

 

[WVPapaw]

Hi all Went out to one of my permissions on Thursday morning, hoping to get an hour's detecting in between showers. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to find anything much. First signal was a little medallion/medal which said something like 38th Boston Encampt. (any ideas?) Got a good signal a few minutes afterwards, dug down only about three or four inches, and I could not believe it when I saw this. I knew straight away what it was. A Bronze Age axe. <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892707"/> Well I wrapped it up carefully in tissue and marked the spot where it was found, and I went home. Later on, I cleaned it up with lukewarm water, just to get the muck off. Its a little beauty!! Although, the patina looks kind of weird for Bronze, doesn't it? I can assure you, though, that it is in fact bronze. It is a Palstave axe head and from what I gather it is from the Middle Bronze Age, I have not looked into the exact date yet but it is something like 1200 BC?? I have scoured the net and I cannot seem to find an axehead with a similar socket, maybe I have unearthed a new type of axe! Found in a field beside a Victorian house, and on quite boggy land.(maybe that explains why it was so shallow). <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892716"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892717"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892718"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892719"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=892720"/> Thanks for looking, by far my oldest and best metallic find ever (I did find a Neolithic flint arrow head once) Hard to believe that this is one of the first items that man made from metal. VOTE BANNER!!!!!! CollectorConor By the way it will be reported to the museum when I get the chance

i don't know much about things like this, but it looks like very fine machine work for 1200 BC. Especially the opening for the handle. If it is from that period, I am really impressed.

 

[pepperj]

The craftsmanship from this era is really impressive as this axe is that you've found. Congrats

 

[fpdoors4u]

hello,
The dexterity gentleman vessel beginning this period is in actual fact inspiring since this machete is with the intention of you've originate

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

That's an outstanding find right there, congrats. I have seen another bronze age axe found in Europe (I believe) make the banner and as this one should as well. Truly historical finds like this don't come around every day. But I think you really should post this up in the "Today's Finds" forum to maximize the exposure. I am not sure exactly how the banner nod is given but if there are not enough votes for it just wont make it up there.
Anyway I will be placing my vote straight away, good luck and HH.
ZDD
Oh yea, one more thing. If you found this on Irish soil I wouldn't advise tell the museum people how you found it, you may wind up in jail.