Late Bronze Age Looped and Socketed Axe

[hammered]

I managed to get out detecting yesterday for just over an hour, the first time in a while due to the weather. The fields in question are new to me and looked promising. As I walked on to the first field I was a bit shocked to see how deep the plough was, you can see in some of the pictures . Anyway, I booted up the XP and was away, buttons and lead straight away, but 20 mins into the search, and over towards the edge of the field I had a good tone and started digging. I quickly uncovered what, at first, looked like a damaged copper or copper alloy pipe. I wiggled it about a bit and suddenly saw it was a bronze axe head.


I pulled it out of the ground carefully and laid it on the surface and took a picture, then just sat there for a while looking at it .


Here is a link to a similar one, but it's date is roughly 500 to 800 BC. http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=11286&cat=228
I went back to the fields today for a few hours, but it was really hard going so I moved over to a seeded field where the wheat is coming through, and very quickly found an Elizabeth 1st 1580 Sixpence. I mulled around there for a while and found a few more bits and pieces, a few of which I still have to identify. Here are some more pics of the finds and the last 2 days.




The depth of the plough .

The next 2 are the surface find of the Bessy sixpence



A couple more of the deep ploughing.


More pictures coming in a minute

 

[Deepdiger60]

Regal find beautiful axe head wtg on the banner Jim

 

[zaxfire69]

Congrats. Did I just read about your discovery on the home page of yahoo.com? Congrats on going international! One nice piece of history.

 

[Cubfan64]

Amazing discoveries being made over there - history being unearthed like that is something that gets the heart pounding

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Nice one hammered! Don't get too hammered over the hammer hammered!!!!! Sweet

 

[Bank Runner]

The axe head is awesome. A museum quality piece for sure.

HH,
Bank Runner

 

[shaun7]

Well done on the banner mate...looks good

 

[CanadianTrout]

Wow. A bronze age axe is about 3000yrs old?? Sheesh... kinda tough to wrap my head around that over here in the Colonies.

Obviously I know what the axe does... but what is the loop for?

Design or some sort of function?

Also, would this be a utility axe for farm/home use or is this a "battle" axe?

 

[Iron Patch]

I do know many of those are dug, but it must be quite a bit more uncommon a find then it appears, because there's very few that get posted here.

 

[Trond]

Great find.

 

[Silver Searcher]

Wow. A bronze age axe is about 3000yrs old?? Sheesh... kinda tough to wrap my head around that over here in the Colonies.

Obviously I know what the axe does... but what is the loop for?

Design or some sort of function?

Also, would this be a utility axe for farm/home use or is this a "battle" axe?

I'm sure Hammered won't mind me answering your question about the loop :P it was used to secure the axe to the shaft, this link explaines it .. http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/A/axehoard.htm

SS

 

[hammered]

Wow. A bronze age axe is about 3000yrs old?? Sheesh... kinda tough to wrap my head around that over here in the Colonies.

Obviously I know what the axe does... but what is the loop for?

Design or some sort of function?

Also, would this be a utility axe for farm/home use or is this a "battle" axe?

I'm sure Hammered won't mind me answering your question about the loop :P it was used to secure the axe to the shaft, this link explaines it .. http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/A/axehoard.htm

SS

I don't mind at all SS , all I could find was a photo of a modern replica of an iron age socket and loop axe, I'll post it anyway .

 

[hammered]

Thanks for the Banner votes and congrats from everyone . I will take some better shots of everything tomorrow, and hopefully identify more of the finds


hammered

 

[Aquila]

Very nice digs. Congrats

 

[darkwing_66]

wow that is a sweet axe just beautiful nice finds

 

[shaun7]

Thanks for the Banner votes and congrats from everyone . I will take some better shots of everything tomorrow, and hopefully identify more of the finds


hammered

Couple of bar mounts there!

 

[CanadianTrout]

Sweet answers guys, thanks a lot!!

Again, OUTSTANDING find man!

 

[{Sentinel}]

That is an Incredible find Hammered! Congrats....Man is it a pretty shade of Green too!!!

 

[tinpan]

awsome finds Congrats Too get the best out of your md and coil Leave a loop at coil end for tilt and tie the rest of the coil cable tight against the shaft . try it and let me know if theres a difference,

tinpan

 

[spitfire55]

 

[steelheadwill]

Ancient Tool
Great old Silver
Congrats