Find Spot record MDO6042 - Bronze Age palstave found near Shapwick

In May 1987, a Middle Bronze Age palstave was found on the north verge of the Blandford road about 400 m west of Badbury Rings. It had been disturbed by roadworks.
The Shapwick palstave is 161mm long with a broad blade measuring 60mm at the cutting edge. It is high flanged and without a loop. Below a stop ridge the blade has a median ridge and low flanking ridges. The condition of the axe is good and the casting seams are clear.
It corresponds most closely with the group III (south western, high flanged) axes of the Anglo-Welsh palstave series, which are considered part of the Taunton Phase of the Later Middle Bronze Age dated to the 13th-12th century BC . (1)

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1988, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1987, 123 (Serial). SDO87.

A PALSTAVE FROM SHAPWICK
In May 1987, while inspecting a disused drainage pit, the Kingston Lacy warden noticed this palstave weathering from the pit section. The site lies 400m west of Badbury Rings (ST 95720289) on the north verge of the Blandford road. The axe was found 0.2m below ground surface but stratigraphy had been disturbed by roadworks. A close examination of the pit section revealed a tarmac deposit below the palstave find spot.
The Shapwick palstave is 161mm long with a broad blade measuring 60mm at the cutting edge. It is high flanged and without a loop. Below a stop ridge the blade has a median ridge and low flanking ridges. The condition of the axe is good and the casting seams are clear.
It corrresponds most closely with the group III (south wester, high flanged) axes of the Anglo-Welsh palstave series (Smith 1959, 184). Group III palstaves are considered paert of the Taunton Phase of the Later Middle Bronze Age dated to the 13th-12th century BC (Burgess 1974, 203). Of the axes in the Dorset County Museum, Dorchester, palstaves from Winterborne Steepleton (DCM 0.50.1) and from Grimstone (DCM 1963.15.2) are broadly similar to the Shapwick palstave. The axes from the hoard found at Blackrock, Sussex (Piggott 1949, 107) are closely comparable.
A Middle Bronze Age rapier was found approximately 500 m to the north-we4st of the Shapwick palstave in 1851 (Oliver 1936, 27) ST 960030.
The Shapwick palstave has been donated to the Dorset County Museum (1987.105.1).
David Smith and Martin Papworth, The National Trust.

<2> Papworth, M, 1994, Shapwick Parish, Kingston Lacy Estate, Wessex Region, 77 (Unpublished document). SDO14228.

In May 1987, while inspecting a drainage pit, David Smith, Kingston Lacy Warden noticed a middle Bronze Age palstave axe weathering from the pit section. The axe was found 20cm below the ground surface on the north verge of the Blandford Road. The soil here has been disturbed by roadworks and the axe did not come from a stratified Bronze Age context. Excavations before the planting of the second Beech Avenue, in January 1989, uncovered fragments of Bronze Age pottery in the vicinity but no further Bronze objects. The palstave is 161mm long with a broad blade measuring 60mm at the cutting edge. It is high flanged and without a loop. Below a stop ridge the blade has a median ridge and low flanking ridges. The condition of the axe is good and casting seams are clear. It is similar to group III palstaves considered to be part of the Taunton phase of the Bronze Age dated to the 13th – 12th centuries BC. See 112,191 (Bronze Age rapier) This palstave is kept at Dorset County Museum, Dorchester.

Record last edited

Mar 27 2019 10:27AM