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FROM THE HEAT OF THE FIRE: A BIOGRAPHY OF AN EARLY BRONZE AGE BATTLE-AXE FROM CHURCH LAWTON, CHESHIRE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2024

Malcolm Reid ,
Amber Roy  and
Rob Ixer
Malcolm Reid
Affiliation:
Malcolm Reid, 10 Jan Palach Avenue, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 7DJ, UK. Email: mgs.reid@outlook.com
Amber Roy
Affiliation:
Amber Roy, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. Email: amber.roy@arklab.su.se
Rob Ixer
Affiliation:
Rob Ixer, UCL Institute of Archaeology, 31–4 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK. Email: r.ixer@btinternet.com
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Abstract

A battle-axe made of picrite from the Cwm Mawr rock source, near Hyssington, Powys, UK, was discovered during the archaeological excavation of two Early Bronze Age barrows at Church Lawton, near Alsager in Cheshire, UK, in 1982–3. It had been subjected to intense heat and then placed in a pit, next to the cremated remains of an adult, possibly a female. The heating has radically altered the appearance of the axe. Originally very smooth and dark grey-green, it now has a more granular and dusty feel, together with a mottled orange-reddish appearance. The Church Lawton battle-axe is particularly notable as it is among a small number of such artefacts in Britain to have been recovered from a barrow excavation conducted according to modern standards, as well as being directly associated with an interment dated by radiocarbon: 1893–1740 cal bc (3490 ± 29 bp). It is also the first implement from the Cwm Mawr rock source to be dated in this way. An initial examination of the battle-axe was conducted in the 1980s. A more exacting analysis of the object has now been undertaken, focusing on its petrology in relation to the rock source, its manufacture and use, and its heating. The new examination included the use of stereoscopic and metallographic microscopes. This paper details the new work and provides an enhanced understanding of the implement’s history and significance, emphasising the likely connections between the Early Bronze Age community at Church Lawton and others in the wider region.

Keywords

Bronze Agestone toolspetrologyburialsartefact studies
Type
Research paper
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 104 , October 2024 , pp. 19 - 39
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society of Antiquaries of London

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References

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