1884.119.64

Collection type

Object

Description

Bronze flat axe

Long description

Bronze flat or slightly flanged axe with a thin butt. There is a trace of a slight flange on the blade. Each face is bevelled between the blade and middle of the axe. The sides have been modified and are ground into three longitudinal facets. [MN 03/02/2009]

Geographical reference

Ireland, Republic of

Europe > Northern Europe > Ireland, Republic of

Ireland County Cork Cork

Person

Maker Unknown Maker

Field collector John Windele

PRM source Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

Date / Period

Archaeological period: Early Bronze Age

Date collected

By 1874

Acquisition information

Donated: 1884

Materials and processes

Material Bronze Metal, Process Cast, Process Forged (Metal)

Dimensions

Depth: max 12 mm, Width: max 48 mm, Length: max 106 mm, Weight 192 g

Object numbers

Accession number: 1884.119.64 Other numbers: 27 1527 PR Cat other PR nos: 2298 PR no.: 1441

Research and responses

Pitt Rivers was in Ireland [serving in the Army] from 1862-66, this object may have been obtained during this period [Bowden, 1991: 60-4. See also Chapman, 1981: 117] [AP Leverhulme project on founding collection 1995-1998]

In the late 1940s or 1950s, a drilling was taken from this object for elemental analysis and a sample removed for metallographic examination as part of the work of the Ancient Mining and Metallurgy Committee of the Royal Anthropological Institute. For the results of the analysis, see under 'Publications'. [MN 30/03/2009]

Associated publications

Listed as number 1527 under the category 'Type Ballyvalley' on page 51 of The Axes of the Early Bronze Age in Ireland (Prähistorische Bronzefunde, IX, 1), by Peter Harbison (Munich: C. H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1969): '1527. Provenance unknown. Pitt-Rivers Mus., Oxford (P.R. 1441). Unpublished (Pl. 64.21).' See also line-drawing in Plate 64.21 (unpaginated). [MN 29/01/2009; JC 26 3 2009] Published under catalogue number 27 on page 88 of Allen, I.M., Britton, D., and Coghlan, H.H., 1970, 'Metallurgical Reports on British and Irish Bronze Age Implements in the Pitt Rivers Museum', Occasional Papers on Technology 10, Oxford University Press, Oxford: 'Flat and Flanged Axes; Description Flat or slightly flanged axe. Butt thin, slightly damaged and now nearly straight across. Cutting-edge sharpened, except at extremities. Bevelled across each face of blade, above middle. Blade has possible traces of slight flanges, obscured by recent abrasion. Sides modified, now ground into three longitudinal facets. Surfaces slightly corroded; sides damaged by recent abrasion. [Drawing] Analysis Chemical: Sn 3.284% Spectrographic: Pb <0.02%, As 0.87%, Sb <0.05%, Ni 0.017%, Bi <0.004%, Fe <0.006%, Ag 0.12%, Mg <0.005% [confirmed bronze copper alloy] Metallographic Examination Examination revealed small twinned grains superimposed on a cored structure in which there were pools of the αδ eutectoid and elongated stannic oxide crystals. The hardness had been increased to 133 HB.'. [GB 20/5/2005] [MN 29/01/2009, CMP 09/08/2010]

Search terms: Tool, Weapon, Axe