Bronze Age Hawkhurst

Hawkhurst's Decorated axe was lost for 3,500 years

This page is to give those interested a chance to see a few Bronze age artifacts found in the Kent parish of  Hawkhurst, So far consisting of two Bronze age axes & a Bronze age spearhead. They take the known human history of Hawkhurst back 3,500 years.

The Decorated Axe

The Decorated Axe

The decorated axe is the best preserved, one side being almost completley intact. The "decorations" are more likely to be from the manufacture of the axe rather than true aesthetic decoration.

Its 18cm long & 7.5cm wide at its cutting edge.

The Axe has recently been Dated to 1500-1450 B.c
possibly a little older.

It will hopfully go for metal analasis soon, which will tell us its exact origin, metellic composition and date.

The axe within moments of being found. 

The hole in the background is were it lay for 3,400 years.

This photo shows the cutting edge & the marks left the last time it was sharpened.

This photo shows marks left by the axe maker,

where the sides have been hammered out slightly.

The stop ridge, this prevented the axe spliting its wooden handle.

The 1st Axe

This was the first of the two axes found.
Its smaller than the decorated axe & badly corroded with only a small amount of the original surface surviving where the axe would have been fitted into its wooden handle.             

Its 14.6cm long  & 4.6cm at its cutting edge,
Dated by Maidstone Museum to 1500-1150 B.c

The Spear Head

This was the first bronze age artifact to be found in Hawkhurst. This would have originally been much longer, only the last 5cm have survived. Though badly corroded a small amount of the original surface can still be seen.

Its 5cm long & 2cm wide.

Dated by Maidstone Museum to 1200-900 B.c