As the hobby of metal detecting embraces all period of time and can also include artifacts not of metallic substance I thought it would be of help to our members not acquainted with the early periods of history starting with the Bronze Age. Many tool implements from this period have come to light since the advent of metal detecting. The first Annual Report of Portable Antiquities has now been published by the Departmentfor Culture, Media and Sport, a governmental department responsible for reporting back to the Government the progress being made on the reporting of finds throughout England and Wales.

Among the artefacts displayed in colour are axes from the Bronze-age period dating to 1400 - 1100 BC. So this is where I begin. The Bronze Age is characterised by the first use of copper and bronze. It is well to note at this point that bronze has never changed in its formula since first was manufactured. The content is, as it was then, 90 percent copper and 10 percent tin.

The period was divided into the Early Bronze Age (c2300 – 1400 BC), the Middle Bronze Age (c1400 - 1000 BC), and the Late Bronze Age (c1000 - 700 BC). It has now been redefined as the Early Bronze Age (c2300 - 1200 BC), and Later Bronze Age (c 1200 - 700 BC). Within the Bronze Age various cultures and metal working industries have been recognised. The Beaker culture dates from c2300 BC and is represented by pottery, burials and some settlement. The Wessex culture dates from 1700 BC and is represented by burials accompanied by rich grave goods. Since it is only represented by these burials, it is not a culture in the strictess sense. It is contemporary with many sites that have produced food vessels. The Deverel-Rimbury culture dates from c1400 BC. and is mainly represented by burial sites accompanied by Deverel-Rimbury pottery, and some settlement sites. The Bronze Age has also been divided into phases based on evidence from metalwork industries.

Settlement sites and agricultural economy

Beaker people has been described as nomadic and pastoral, since very few domestic sites of this period are known (as with all the Earlier Bronze Age period), while there is evidence for the hunting of red deer and collecting of shellfish. A more settled economy is indicated, however, by finds of grain rubbers, paired postholes which may have been corn- drying racks, and oval settings of postholes and stone packing which may have been huts or enclosures. There have been finds of bone implements (particularly at Northton, Isle of Harris, Western Isles) which may indicate a settled pastoral economy. Grain impressions (mainly barley) have also been foundon some

Beaker Pottery

Many bronze instruments in rivers, bogs and most importantly by dedicated metal detectorists on farmland. The Wilsford shaft near Stonhenge, Wiltshire, is a pit of at least 33m deep and 2m diameter, which contained many items of Bronze Age date. A C14 date of 1,300 + or - 90 BC has been obtained from wood from the shaft. The shaft may have had a ritual purpose. Other features that may have had a ritual significance are stone circles, standing stones, henges and carvings on stones. There is much evidence for ritual in the burial practices of the Early Bronze Age, but virtually nothing is known of the underlying beliefs.

Metalwork

Much evidence for the Bronze Age is derived from its bronzework, which can be divided into various industries and phases, although implements can occur in more than one phase. The introduction of copper implements and copper working into Britain can be attributed to the beaker culture. copper implements are found mainly in Beaker burials and include tanged flat daggers, (tanged daggers,tanged knives) some of which had single a rivet hole or notch in the tang and are called 'single-riveted tanged daggers. On Beaker metalwork includes pins, awls, tubular beads halberds (found mainly in the Highland Zone), and broad-butt flat axes (Broad-butted flat axes).

Migdale-Marnoch Tradition

Around 2,000 BC, bronze made from copper alloyed with tin began to be used. This early phase of bronze working is called the Migdale-Marnoch Tradition, named after Migdale, Highland, and Marnoch, Grampian), and in its later stage it overlaps with metalwork from the Wessex culture. Pins, awls, tubular beads, basket-shaped earrings (ear- pendants), plain, ribbed or ridged rings and bracelets, narrow-butted flat axes, riveted flat daggers, usually with three stout rivets, and hollw cones belonging to this tradition have all been found by the metal detectorist. The Wessex Culture. The Wessex culture dated from the 7th century BC and the metalwork found mainly as grave goods. The metal detectorists leave the graves to the academics to rifle through; they generally have great regard for the sanctity of burial from whatever period. In Wessex 1, southeast England. (the early phase) Armorico- British daggers (BushBarrow daggers) are found, so-called because of their similarities to ones found in Armorica (Britanny). These daggers are flat and triangular in shape.

They usually have six slender rivets and sometimes a projecting tongue (languette) and latteral grooves. Traces of wooden and leather sheaths have survived with some of them, as well as dagger pommels of wood, one decorated with thousands of minute gold pins. A bronze dagger pommel from this period was recovered from a land site recently no more than eight inches down from the surface by one of my club members. It was duly reported to the regional finds officer Mr Nick Heripath of Liverpool. It had suffered from the ravages of time but a nice find nevertheless. It won find of the month competition. Also found are halberd pendants (miniature copies of hafted bronze halberd blades, flat axes including some miniture ones), and awls.

Wessex II

Dates from c1500 BC and the metalwork is characterised by Camerton-Snowshill daggers which are ogival in shape, with a midrib, and two or or three large rivets. Some are ornamented and some have traces of a wooden sheath. Knife-daggers less than about 10cms in length, which usually have two rivet holes. Pins are occasionally found including crutch-headded pins, ring-headed pins (composed of one or more rings), bulb-headed pins and disc-headed pins. Tanged razors have also been found

Arreton Down Tradition

The Arreton Down tradition of metalwork 9Named after Arreton Down in the Isle of Wight) dates to the 16th and 15th centuries BC and is represented widely in southern England, apert from Wessex, and extends to Yorkshire. The metalwork is found mainly in hoards and as single finds, and is characterised by thin butted axes which have flanges and a wide cutting edge (flanged axes) and are occasionally decorated.

There are also tanged spearheads, with a lozenge or kite-shaped blade and a tang, usually with a single rivet, end-looped spearheads with the loops at the end of the socket, and a variety of daggers which include Camerton- Snowhill daggers, three-ribbed daggers and other daggers with grooves or midribs.

Acton Park Phase

I have been fortunate to observe the location, in which these objects were found, living as I do only a few hundred yards from Acton Park. (Wrexham) Wales. Acton Hall occupied the parkland and was the home of the notorious Judge Jeffries, the hanging judge who sentenced the Tolpuddle Martyrs for their `misdemenours'. The hall is no longer, the council decided to destroy it and its legend as they have of many historic buildings in the area. The location is actually in Borras Road, Wrexham, outside the park itself but I expect it was esier to say Acton Phase than Borras Park Road phase. These axe heads were discovered when foundations were being dug for a farm house and are now in the British Museum I believe? The Acton Park Phase dates from c1500 BC. Some of the metalwork of this phase has been found in hoards. The metalwork is characterised by various types of palstave, which is a type of axe with flanges and a stop-ridge; the main difference between a palstave and a flanged axe is that the stop-ridge is more developed in a palstave. Typical Acton Park palstaves are ornamented with a shield-shaped motif on the blade.

Penard Phase

Named after Penard in West Glamorgan and dates from 1200 bc. Ornament Horizon objects continue and there is also much experimentation. It must be expected that during the coarse of time metal objects such as axes would be modified from the common flat axe to some design which would be more superior to the previous one. An example can be seen in the development from the flat axe to the flanged axe inasmuch as the sides that hold the shaft were shaped as a letter H to receive a wooden shaft on both sides of the upper part of the axe instead of the axe head being inserted through the shaft proper. Ring Socket or Cylinder sickles were invented as were leaf-shaped peg-hole spearheads which were introduced from the Continent. Also belonging to this phase are triangular basal-looped spearheads, some circular shields and we see also for the first time a further development in the socketed axe and hammers.

Ewart Park Phase

Named after Ewart Park, Northumberland. (Post Wilburton phase) dates from the ninth century bc and is characterised by the general use of of lead-alloyed metal, a wider range of products, and a proliferation of hoards, mainly founders' hoards of scrap metal or 'ritual' deposits. Horse and wheeled equipment is found. The importance of the spear appears to decline, except in the Broadway complex. There are many regional differences, but some tools and weapons are common to most traditions, such as the Ewart Park sword which has two or three holes (rarely slots) in the hilt.

Manufacture of copper and bronze artifacts

Plano-convex circular ingots of bronze have been discovered bymetal detectorist. Also small portions of bronze 'dross' has been found. These cannot be definately attributed to the bronze age as they are nearly always found on ploughed land and could be the result of destruction by fire of articles containing bronze but from the patina shown on most, indicates that it is of great age.

Copper flat axes were probably cast in simple open moulds of fired clay or hollows in sand. From 2,000 bc they were also cast in open stone moulds.From the time of the Arreton Down metalwork two-piece moulds were being used, probably mainly of clay and also sandstone. I donated a socketed axe with two lugs to the Natioanl Museum of Wales but before it was dispatched I cast it in a mould of clay, and cast the socketed axe in old pewter I had recovered over the years and the first one turned out to be absolutely identical to the original but the second attempt, although again extremely successful, was slightly smaller than the first. The heat from the first had shrunk the clay mould.Some bronze moulds are known for axes and palstaves. A seven piece set was discovered by a detectorist from the Mold (Denbighshire) club and was donated to the Clwyd Archeaological Trust. Replicas of these were made by the British Museum and presented to the finder. All the moulds were in perfect condition and were of the two-piece type mentioned earlier.

The two pieces of the mould were aligned correctly by the use of various location devices or markings and were joined together. Cores for producing sockets (hollow casting) may have been of clay and sand. I personally made one from modeling clay and it worked well. You try it, maybe you will have the same success as I.

Hafting.

Many of the implements had wooden handles or hafts. These could be tied by thongs or cords to loop implements. Rivets and pegs were also used to secure handles. The type I used to secure the socketed axe replica was taken from a lilac tree and was shaped similar to a horses head handle of a walking stick, the handle proper being about 12" in length. The head was inserted into the socket. A leather belt was cut into 10" long thongs, 10mm wide to fasten through the loops to the handle itself. It look so real that an archeaologist wanted to purchase it for the museum but quite honestly I do not think that I could have made another like it.

Wood Usage.

Wood was widely used for a variety of objects. The use of ash, oak, hazel,pine, willow and apple is recorded from various sites and finds. Objects of wood include dagger sheaths, dagger handles, sword sheaths, rapier sheaths, spearshafts, a possible club, bows, bowls, boxes, handles and hafts for various implements, planks, stave-built tubs, coffins, ladders and stakes. Wood was also used in the construction of huts such as posts and wattle and for building boats and trackways. Trackways include ones made of hurdles of intertwined brushwood or brushwood held in place by long stakes and piles, and of longitudinal planks and branches with some traverse pieces of wood and brush.

Wood was also used in the construction of huts such as posts and wattle and for building boats and trackways. Trackways include ones made of hurdles of intertwined brushwood or brushwood held in place by long stakes and piles, and of longitudinal planks and branches with some traverse pieces of wood and brush. Boats include LOGBOATS (no I have not missed the N ) made from hollowed-out tree-trunks similar to a dugout canoe.

Textiles and Leather

There is evidence for textiles from finds of weaving implements including cylindrical (bun-shaped) and pyramidal loomweights of baked clay; pyramidal ones are later in date. There are also a few spindle whorls of baked clay, chalk and stone, and a possible weaving comb manufactured from bone from Shearplace Hill, Dorset. Postholes have been found associated with loomweights at Itford Hill, Sussex, and many originally have held the posts of an upright loom.

Remains of textileshave been recorded from inhumation and cremation burials including wool and possibly linen, and there is also some evidence for woven grasses and basket-work. Flax seeds have been found, which may indicate the use of linen. Textile fragments sometimes survive in the corroded surface of metalwork.Traces of leather scabbards occasionally survive adhering to dagger blades. Possible leatherwork tools have been found, including bronze awls, and burnishers of stone and bone.

The Inscriptions on Nuremberg Jettons |  Caesar and Britian No 8

Index.