from Bell's Mill, Dean, Edinburgh

Axeheads

These bronze axeheads are from a hoard of five found in the Water of Leith near Bell's Mill at Dean in Edinburgh. The hoard was buried between 950 and 750 BC.

The three socketed axeheads are all different in shape. A wooden handle would have fitted into the axehead's socket. For the two with loops, a thong passed through the loop could also have attached the axehead to the handle.

Between 1000 and 700 BC a great wealth of material was deposited in votive hoards dedicated to the gods. Many of these were deposited in watery places. Such sites may have been seen as boundaries between the human world and the world of the gods, where contact could be made.

Record details

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Online ID:	000-190-004-229-C
Image Rights Holder:	National Museums Scotland
Project:	0098: National Museums Scotland Project description \| View all records in project
Ref:	National Museums Scotland X.DE 19
Date:	Between 950 and 750 BC
Material:	Bronze Bronze; ornamented with parallel lines; without loop Bronze; with parallel lines on the sides
Dimensions:	3.50" x 1.50" 3.50" x 2.00" 5.00" x 2.13"
What:	Axe, socketed Axe, socketed Axe, socketed
Subject:
Who:
Where:	Scotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Dean, Bell's Mills Scotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Dean, Bell's Mills Scotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Dean, Bell's Mills
Event:
Description:	Bronze socketed axe with parallel lines on the sides, from Bell's Mills, Dean, Edinburgh Bronze socketed axe ornamented with parallel lines, without loop, from Bell's Mills, Dean, Edinburgh Bronze socketed axe from Bell's Mills, Dean, Edinburgh
References:	Coles, John M. Scottish late Bronze Age metalwork: typology, distributions and chronology. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 93 (1959-1960), pp 16-134, esp. pp 116-7.
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