Axehead

This iron axehead was found in a man's grave at Ballinaby on Islay in the Inner Hebrides. He was buried in a cist with a range of weapons, an elaborate belt and a bronze pin, sometime between 850 and 950.

The broad-bladed axe has a wide flanged socket. It is corroded and damaged on its blade. Its form is similar to other axes found in Viking graves in western Europe.

Viking Age axes appear in a number of forms. Some were used as tools, others as weapons. Often it is difficult to distinguish which function was intended, especially since a range of tools was often included in Viking warriors' graves.

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