Description

Summary: 1 bronze flanged chisel or axe found inserted into a bone handle with a primary inhumation in Bell Barrow Wilsford G58, excavated by William Cunnington.

Research results

A Bronze Age copper alloy flanged axehead, found with the richly furnished primary inhumation in Bell Barrow Wilsford G58 when it was excavated by William Cunnington. This grave was found to contain a number of grave goods, inlcuding a as yet unique artefacts such as an unusual pronged object and a human bone which had been made into a musical instrument. Axeheads are rare as grave goods in the early Bronze Age, and are often found with other high value objects. This axehead is of an Armorican or inspired type and was deposited in the grave slotted inside a bone handle.

This object was examined as part of the research published in Ritual in Early Bronze Age Grave Goods; a six-year research project carried out by Professor John Hunter and Dr Anne Woodward and funded by the Leverhulme Trust. Aided by a large number of other specialists the pair undertood an exhuastive study examining over 1000 objects held in 13 museums across the country in order to provide an extensive overview of burial practices in the period and identify regional practices.