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24 Jun 04Bronze Age Axe Found in Poole Harbour
Archaeologists are excited by the discovery of a rare 3,000-year-old, bronze axe brought in to Poole Museums recently. It was found by well known local diver Philip Butterworth in Poole Harbour. The axe was identified by Poole Museum Officer Keith Jarvis and referred to the UK leading expert Stuart Needham at the British Museum. Archaeologist diver Mike Markey, then dived the site with the finder but no more bronzes were found.
Axe description
The axe is an end-winged type dating to 1000-800 B.C.(late bronze age) and found in England and neighbouring parts of Europe. It has two sockets formed from wings of bronze and an attachment loop. It contains some bronze in one of the sockets, perhaps as a packing/strengthening piece. There is apparently no corrosion-preserved wood present on the axe so it probably did not have a wooden handle when lost. Tests are to be undertaken by Bournemouth University.
What is the significance of the find? - some theories
1 Stray find.
The most likely explanation is that the axe was originally lost elsewhere. As it is in good condition, it is presumed to have been eroded by currents out of a nearby sediment fairly recently. It could have come from a nearby now underwater, bronze age site. Another possibility is that it was lost from a bronze age log boat and remained covered in silt until recently. Bronze age sea level was probably about 4m lower than now.
2. Bronze age wreck
Sometimes all that survives from a bronze age wreck is a scatter of bronze objects that were once the cargo. Diving has indicated only one axe so this option is unlikely. Bronze age wreck sites are nationally important and only a few are known - there are two main British sites including the Dover boat.
3. Religious deposition.
The late Bronze age and iron age were times when bronze objects were often ceremonially buried in rivers such as the Thames, probably as part of a druidic religion or as displays of wealth. The enclosed harbour location could have religious symbolism. As no other items have been found this theory is unlikely.
The Museum role
The axe has been declared to the Receiver of Wreck, as required by law and the diver who found the axe has very public spiritedly agreed that it should be donated to Poole museum. Diver Philip Butterworth is also to be commended for following all the right procedures and reporting the find promptly. It is expected that the Receiver of Wreck, acting on behalf of the crown, will soon donate the axe to Poole Museums who will then arrange to fund conservation and for the axe to go on display.
The Peat Deposits - Another important find
During the same dives, peat deposits and roots of ancient trees have been located near a deep ancient channel. Samples have been taken and later on it will be possible to carbon date these. This will give specialists another fixed point (about 7 are known for Dorset) on which to develop models of past coastal change and ice ages.
These were found in a deep channel relating to the ancient Solent river, a large river like the Thames which flowed through Poole Harbour and then along the coast and connected all the main rivers of today eg Frome, Piddle, Stour and Avon. This peat must date to a time when the sea level was lower such as 10,000 BC after the last ice age. But it could date to before a much earlier warm spell perhaps over 30,000 years ago.
These finds link us back to ice age times when the area was frozen tundra with mammoths, intersperced occasionally by warm spells with warm vegetation roamed by rhinocerous and elephant.
People involved and further work
After the initial work, Bournemouth University hopes to become involved in assessing and sampling the site. The Poole Harbour Heritage Project of the Poole Maritime Trust is also likely to be prominently involved in helping further work on the site.
Keith Jarvis, Museums Interpretation Officer, Boroughof Poole Tel No: 01202 262607
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