Piece of bronze axehead

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This piece of a flat axehead was found at Auchnagarron at Rosskeen in Ross-shire. It was probably deliberately broken as a sacrifice to the gods, sometime between 2250 and 1950 BC.

Only the cutting half of the axe is preserved.

Offerings to the gods were often special material, treated in special ways or put in special places. Prestigious weapons such as axeheads, maceheads or swords are sometimes found broken, probably part of a ceremony we can only guess about.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-034-272-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.DA 85
• Date: Between 2250 and 1950 BC
  Early Bronze Age
  
• Material: Bronze; patinated
  Axe, flat
  
• Dimensions: 3.88 L; 4.38" across cutting edge
  
• What: Axe, flat
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Argyll, Auchnagarron, Roskeen
  
• Event:
• Description: Early Bronze Age flat axe, from Roskeen, Auchnagarron, Argyll
  
• References:
  • Coles, John M. Scottish Early Bronze Age metalwork. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 101 (1968-9), 1-110, esp. pp 33, 85. 
• Translations:
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