Description

Summary: 1 bronze looped socketted axe, with square section, found at Chilton Foliat.

Research results

An Early Iron Age copper alloy Armorican socketed axehead, found at Chilton Foliate. Armorican axeheads belong to the Llyn Fawr metalworking phase, now thought to be contemporary with the earliest Iron Age, dating to 800-600 BC. Armorican axeheads are made of a leaded bronze which is of little use as a practical tool, and many axeheads of the type are found in as cast condition, with no signs of ever being prepared for use (in some cases even retaining a clay core in their socket, preventing their being used). In Britanny, where the axeheads were probably produced, over 200 hoards of 20,000+ axeheads are known, whereas hoards elsewhere are much smaller. In the UK the axeheads are mostly found along the south coast, and particularly in Cornwall and Hampshire.

This axhead was re-examined by Boughton (2015) as part of her PhD discussing Early Iron Age socketed axeheads. This study examined over 1400 axeheads from across Britain, defining a number of new types, some of which are regional, along with local and regional practices.