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Description: | A copper alloy socketed hammer of Middle to Late Bronze Age date (c. 1200 - 750 BC). The hammer has a square mouth with a raised moulded collar surrounding it. The mouth measures 26.68mm in width and 24.54mm in length. The walls of the hammer are 4.66mm thick at the mouth. The socket is trapezoidal in shape and tapers along its length. It is 56.93mm deep. There is no residual material present inside. Two of the long sides exhibit casting seams which show evidence of having been smoothed and finished. On one long side the casting seam is interrupted by two ovular break marks whcih most likely represent the position of the missing loop. The hammer widens along its length from 26.68mm at the mouth to 27.55mm at the head before narrowing into two facets and tapering to a width of 10.37mm. The head is solid. Due to heavy surface corrosion, it is not possible to state whether or not the hammer exhibits signs of use-wear. The suface is heavily pitted and is a mottled dark green colour, with patches of a silvery substance which may indicate a high lead content.The earliest bronze hammers were created in the Middle Bronze Age Taunton metalwork phase, however hammer finds are more prevalent in Late Bronze Age hoard discoveries and Rowlands (1976: 45) states that, for this reason, "it would be unwise to date stray finds to the MBA". Socketed hammers became more widespread in the Penard phase (c1200-950 BC). Hammers were produced in smaller numbers during the Ewart-Park Phase (c. 800 - 700 BC) which is characterised by a higher volume of leaded bronze artefacts. The production of bronze and in particular tin bronze depleted after 800 BC. Early examples tend to be plain with no collar, whereas later examples have collars and moulding.Similar finds recorded on the database include SWYOR-D13642 which also retains evidence of a loop, YORYM-ABCCE1, YORYM-86F1B4, KENT-FDBC44 & IOW-A05DE6. The hammer measures 86.11mm in length, has a maximum width of 27.55mm and weighs 250g.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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