Description

Summary: 1 antler adze holder (bored with large hole for handle) found with secondary inhumation in Bowl Barrow Warminster G10, excavated by William Cunnington

Research results

A worked antler macehead or hammer, found with a secondary inhumation in Bowl Barrow Warminster G10, excavated by William Cunnington in 1809. The other grave goods found with the burial were a pair of flint knives, and interestingly the closest parallels for this grave group are found in the Yorkshire region.

Rowlands has microscopically examined this macehead for use wear evidence as part of his Masters degree with the University of Southampton. Importantly, he did not identify any evidence for usewear inside the rectangular 'mouth' at one end of the macehead, making the original identification as a sleave for hafting an adze extremely unlikely. He was also able to identify striations associated with areas of polish in addition to the heavy percussive damage relating to its probable use as a hammer, implying that it may have had a long and multifaceted use life prior to depostion.