Bronze Age Celtic Axe Head

$410.46

A fine bronze Celtic socketed axe head with a rectangular body extending to a slightly convex cutting edge. A single pronounced ridge runs across the top and bottom of the axe fading into the uneven blade from where the two pieces have been fixed together . A small loop used to secure the axe head to a wooden shaft has been attached to the lower section of the axe. Some patination is visible; small chip towards the cutting edge.

Date: Circa 10th - 9th century BC
Provenance: EX D.W. collection, previously found in Warwickshire, the West Midlands of England, in the 1970's.
Condition: Very fine condition.

SOLD

SKU: SA-03 Category: Tag:

The Celts were a collection of tribal groups with origins in central Europe as early as 1200 B.C. Living through the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age (700 BC – 400 AD), these tribes and their cultural material migrated and established their presence throughout western Europe, including Britain, Ireland, France and Spain. During this time, Celtic metalwork saw a rapid technological development. The manufacture of tools and weapons increased and specialised in producing equipment for shaving, woodworking, and metalworking. Axe heads such as this one would have been used primarily for clearing woodland and for shaping timber, but would also have proved useful in battles. They were widely distributed across Celtic territories, and have been mainly recovered in southern and western England, concentrating in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

To discover more about Celtic culture, please visit our relevant blog post: Bronze Age Britain.

Weight 108.7 g
Dimensions L 9.5 x W 4.5 cm
Culture

Region

Metal

Reference: For similar item, please see The Metropolitan Museum, item 743011

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