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Description: | An incomplete copper-alloy object which is probably a votive axe of Roman date. Other miniature axes are recorded from north Hertfordshire and into mid Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire* and several examples were found in excavations at nearby Baldock, where they were dated from the 2nd to 4th century AD (I.M.Stead and V.Rigby; 1986; pp.136).
This example has a roughly trapezoidal blade which decreases slightly in width but increases in thickness away from the "cutting edge". At the narrow end of the blade there is a step in the sides (larger on one side than the other), after which the width narrows towards the slightly damaged "attachment" end. The small width and thickness of the piece at this point precludes the possibility that this is a functional tool, such as a chisel.
The object measures 30.7mm long, by 20mm wide and up to 3.8mm thick; the weight is 7.05g. | Subjects: | Votive axe | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Watters, Julian - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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