Andrews, Miriam; Polcar, Tomas; Sofaer, Jo; Pike, Alistair WG; (2024) Establishing life trajectories for British and Irish Middle Bronze Age palstave axes. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports , 60 , Article 104811. 10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104811.

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Abstract

This paper presents the results of chemical characterisation, metallography, metalwork wear-analysis, and damage assessment conducted on 102 British and Irish Middle Bronze Age (c. 1500–1000 BCE) tin-bronze palstave axes. There is uncertainty regarding the role of palstave axes; they very likely facilitated ongoing forest clearances, yet expressed often in hearsay, is the ‘pristine’ nature of their recovery condition. A better appreciation of underlying metallurgy, combined with insight from prior experimentation with replica palstave axes, has allowed a more nuanced evaluation of wear characteristics and use-intensity. This, alongside available contextual data, has permitted the life trajectories of prehistoric palstave axes found within the archaeological record to be determined, highlighting a common narrative of preparation for, and minimal application in, functional use, with preservation favoured over destruction at deposition, as well as the considerable variability presented within their life histories.

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