English: An incomplete and corroded Middle Bronze Age copper-alloy looped palstave axehead (c. 1400-c. 1200 BC).

The wings, the majority of the septum and most of the lower part of the blade are missing. At the top of the fan shaped blade, on both sides, there is a 'shield' and mid-rib combined to form trident decoration. These mid-ribs extend about half way down the blade. The stops are deeply curved on both sides and the surviving portion of septum is 6.0mm in thickness. Just below the 'D'-shaped loop a casting seam is barely visible and may have been hammered down. A casting seam on the opposite side is also barely visible. In side view the object is broadly 'V'-shaped.

This palstave is corroded and pitted. There are patches of a smooth silvery greyish green patina. One side of the cutting edge is complete, one side has an old break and at the centre there is a recent break. The break across the septum is old.

Length: 106.7mm; width: 54.8mm; thickness between stops: 29.4mm. Weight: 342.0g.

This implement is an early / primary palstave group III. MBA II-III, belonging to the Taunton/early Penard phases (Needham et al. 1997: 55-107).

Needham, S.P., Bronk, C., Ramsay, C., Coombs, D., Cartwright, C., & Petitt, P.,, 1997 ' An independent chronology for British Bronze Age metalwork: the results of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Programme154