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Wolstonbury

Bronze Age Axe Head find at Wolstonbury

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danielspaniel D
danielspaniel Nov 22, 2012 14:44:52

Hello All, (particularly Rhiannon, Bladup and Scubi63)

Sorry to dig this up (ha ha), but I've only just read the comments on my misc. post about this, and thought I would share what I know about it, in case you were interested, and to dispel any impressions that I approve of robbing out artifacts with metal detectors! ;-D

Anyways, I am local to this site, and originally heard about this from one of the 'Friends of Wolstonbury' which is a group concerned with conservation of the hill etc. One of their number had found it during scrub clearance. She reckoned it was lying on the grass, but it sounds like it was shallowly interred, so I can only think it was in the process of uprooting scrub that it was discovered.

The cartridges are likely to be from the WW2 firing range right next to Wolstonbury. You can find loads of cartridges and other spent ordnance in this area.

I suspect Rhiannon is right in thinking that originally an evil metal detectorist has found and dug the axe head plus a load of cartridges and stashed them together, then has either discarded it or been struck down by a bronze age ghost and dropped it (or something).

At least the person who found it 2nd time round did the right thing and recorded it with Portable Antiquities. It has been checked and published by PAS, so it looks like it is the genuine article. I was just excited because I am always checking mole-hills for microliths and this would be a dream find.
How much do you reckon I would get for it on Amazon? (joke!!!)

Be happy and be nice to each other,

Dan

R Rhiannon
Rhiannon Nov 22, 2012 21:47:05
Replying to danielspaniel

I'd never have thought such a thing (about you approving of such nefarious hypothetical behaviour). And don't mind me, I'm the eternal cynic. Though daft enough that I've only just really twigged that putting the bullets in the axe would give a bigger signal (I imagine) so the metal detectist would have more chance of refinding it??
It'd be thrilling to find such a thing. But most fitting that it should be found by someone who like you is acting as a guardian for the site.
I love seeing them all together in museums when they've been found in a hoard. All the same thing but all different. I think I'd like to go on a course to cast one.

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