University of Groningen
A decorated axe from across the Channel
Arnoldussen, Stijn; Steegstra, Hannie; van Leeningen, Jorrit
Published in:Lunula Archaeologia protohistorica
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Arnoldussen, S., Steegstra, H., & van Leeningen, J. (2020). A decorated axe from across the Channel: A remarkable find from Friesland (the Netherlands). Lunula Archaeologia protohistorica, 28, 43-48.
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LUNULA. Archaeologia protohistorica, XXVIII, 2020, p. 43-48.
A decorated axe from across the Channel:
a remarkable fi nd from Friesland (the Netherlands)
1. Introduction
In june 2019, the third author was metaldetecting near a tribu-tary of the stream-valley of the Matsloot near Drachten, when he uncovered a low-fl anged axe (DB2864). The fi nd was re-ported to the fi rst and second author, who – upon request to inspect and draw the axe – met up the 22nd of October this year and learned that another Bronze Age axe (DB2865), had been found by one of his friends at c. 200m from the pre-vious one. Here we report on the typological classifi cation of both axes, and contextualize them as part of (a) Bronze Age supra-regional contacts, (b) their depositional context and (c) the occupation history of Frisia
2. Description
The axe found by the third author (DB2864) can be identi-fi ed as an axe with low-fl anges (AXI) and measures 12.9 cm in length and 5.8 cm in width. The maximum thickness is 1.3 cm and the fl anges are very faint (<0.5 mm). Its origi-nal patina was very dark brown with green patches (the pho-tographs in fi gure 1 show its restored state). On one of the sides, three faint lozenge-shaped facets can be discerned. It is expected that these were once present on both sides, but the other side is too corroded for these to have been preserved. The second axe (fi g. 2; DB2865) measures 8.85 cm in length and 4.35 cm in width. Its maximum thickness is 0.99 cm. The angle between the very straight front of the blade and the sides is sharp but not elevated, which means it is classifi ed as a fl at-bodied fl at axe (AXFF).
3. Typological considerations: origin and dating
The decorated lozenge-shaped facets on DB2865 are a very unusual property of Dutch Bronze Age axes. To this date, only a single comparable specimen has been found in the Netherlands. This axe (DB1528; Butler 1995/1996: 178 cat. no. 29) was allegedly found near Nijmegen (dealer’s prove-nance) before the 1920’s but is lost since a theft in 1992 (op. cit., 178). Its alloy consists of 9 %wt tin, 0.7 %wt arsenic and some silver (0.06 %wt) and nickle (0.01 %wt; ibid.). Based on the peculiar decorated sides, DB1528 was classifi ed by Butler (1995/1996: 178) as a low-fl anged axe of British-Irish
Stijn A
1, Hannie S
2& Jorrit
L
1 Groningen Institute for Archaeology, Groningen University, Poststraat 6,
9712 ER, Groningen, the Netherlands, s.arnoldussen@rug.nl
2 Groningen Institute for Archaeology, Groningen University, Poststraat 6,
9712 ER, Groningen, the Netherlands, j.steegstra@rug.nl
affi nity. Harbison (1969: 182) argued that an Irish origin (or inspiration from an Irish tradition) for this axe is plausible. In his classifi cation of the Early Bronze Age axes from south-ern Britain, Needham (2017: 26-27) groups such axes under his Subclass 4D Type Cardiff Castle group, with a suspected date-range of 2150-1800 cal. BC (op. cit: 9 fi g. 3). He too (Needham 2017: 26) speculates on whether the types found in southern Britain may represent imports from elsewhere, notably Ireland. In his discussion of the Irish Early Bronze Age axes, Harbison has documented lozenge-shaped facets on axes of his types Ballyvalley and Derryniggin (Harbison 1969: Pl. 37-54; Pl. 74 no. 28). Axes with lozenge-decoration occur all across Ireland, but most are found in the north-east (seven in Co. Derry and 6 in Co. Antrim; Harbison 1969). Axes with three lozenges are known chiefl y from those two counties, plus two from Co. Limerick and one from Co. Of-faly (Harbison 1969, nos 826; 838; 963; 990).
Schmidt and Burgess noted lozenge-shaped facets on North-ern English and Scottish fl at axes of their types Glenal-la, Scrabo Hill, and Bandon (Schmidt & Burgess 1981: Pl. 28-30). The distribution of axes decorated with lozenges is focussed on Scotland and Yorkshire (Schmidt & Burgess 1981: nos 206; 320; 334; 336; 338; 350; 382), but such axes are occasionally found more to the south, such as the Welsh namegiving Cardiff Castle axe (Needham 1983: 179 fi g. 37 no. 1) or the axe from Hilgay (op. cit: fi g. 41 no. Le2). Lo-zenges are also found on axes of Needham’s (1983: 182) type 4Ea axes, that concentrate between the fens and Yorkshire wolds (loc. cit.). Such axes are in the United Kingdom dated to metalwork phase IV (Schmidt & Burgess 1981: 62; 65; 68) or c. 1950-1875 cal. BC (Roberts et al. 2013: 23 fi g. 2.2). Presumably, the Drachten axe represents an import from the north-eastern Irish or northwestern English/Scottish region, and dates the Early Bronze Age (presumably between c. 2150 and 1800 cal BC.
The fl at-bodied fl at axe DB2865 can be placed within a cor-pus of fl at axes of Armorican or Migdale-affi nity (Butler & Steegstra 1997/1998: 171-172), for which compositional analysis hinted that these were crafted from continental metal (op. cit: 172). Moreover, true Migdale axes, generally show a medial thickening not present on the Drachten axe (Schmidt & Burgess 1981: 35-36). In his corpus of axes from Nieder-sachsen, Laux (2000: 20-21) depicts several comparable axes under his group of fl at axes with more or less trapezoid outline (Variante Uelzen and Variante Oberrode; op.cit: Taf. 1 no. 5; no. 7). Their distribution seem related to the upper reaches of the Elbe and Weser rivers (and tributaries), with the closest parallels coming from the Landkreis Gifhorn and Wolfsburg areas (Laux 2000: Taf. 77a). Unfortunately, for
44
-Stijn A , Hannie S & Jorrit L
these axes their dating is insecure (op. cit: 23-24). In the Bri-tish Isles, similarly shaped axes are dated to metalwork phase IV or c. 1950-1875 cal. BC (Schmidt & Burgess 1981: 54-58; Butler & Steegstra 1997/1998: 174; Roberts et al. 2013: 23 fi g. 2.2). For the Netherlands, the slightly broader date range of c. 2150-1850 cal. BC has been proposed for Migdale-type axes (Fontijn 2003: 56 fi g. 5.2).
A close parallel to DB2865 in terms of dimensions and shape was found at Borger (fi g. 4; DB2093), but similarly shaped axe have been found at Opmeer (DB2867), Flevoland (DB1128) and Gramsbergen (DB602). Their distribution – even if sparse – across the Netherlands does not suggest a strong regional focus (cf. Butler & Steegstra 1997/1998: 170 Map. 3).
4. Depositional context
Both axes under review here (DB2864 & DB2965) were found in fi elds situated in the lower course of the drainage basis of
e g a s u l a r u tl u c ir g A . )t f e l , 5 . g fi ( y e ll a v m a e rt s t o o l s d a M e h t
has presumably resulted in an infi lling of the lowermost parts of the stream-valley, which is now a wide and shallow (c. 1 m lower-lying) depression in the landscape. Whereas upstream towards the east the more narrow character is indicative of a stream-valley, in the westernmost reaches it should be con-sidered part of the natural drainage structure of the Drents-Fries Saalian-period boulder clay plateau (Rappol 1984). The brown iron-rich patina originally present on both Drachten axes, is consistent with a position in a lower-lying part of the landscape - albeit that we suspect that the axes were original-ly preserved in more anaerobe (waterlogged) conditions but have been displaced (by ploughing) to higher-up into the top-soil, starting-off a phase of oxidation has caused the corroded and pitted surface.
The placement of the Drachten axes into a wetland part of the landscape tallies well with our understanding of Bronze Age depositional patterns. Both in the south (Fontijn 2003) as north (Essink & Hielkema 2000) a preference for the deposi-tion of bronze objects into watery contexts is well-documen-ted. For the stream-valley of the Grote Masloot in adjacent Drenthe (35 km to the east), Van der Sanden (2014: 32-33) argues that fi nds recovered ranging in date from an Early Bronze Age grooved ogival dagger to an Early Iron Age fi -bula, suggesting the presence of stream-valleys as "persistent depositional zones" in the Northern Netherlands (cf. Fontijn 2007: 77, 79). Evidently, the depositional narrative of the Matsloot streamvalley starts at the transition of the 3rd to 2nd millennium, but only new fi nds may tell how long it lasted. The preference for stream-valleys it also evident from a wider survey of the original contexts of Bronze Age bronzes from Friesland (fi g. 5, right). Over 40% of the Bronze Age artefacts recovered probably originated from a stream-valley. Other watery contexts, such as creeks (n=1), pingo-scars (n=1) and bogs (over 30%) similarly testify to the preference for object deposition in these wetlands zones of the landscape (fi g. 5). Fig. 2. Photograph and drawings (H. Steegstra) of the Drachten fl at
axe axe (DB2865).
Fig. 1. Photographs (S. Arnoldussen) and drawings (H. Steegstra) of the Drachten low-fl anged axe (DB2864). 0 5 cm
A decorated axe from across the Channel: a remarkable fi nd from Friesland (the Netherlands)
Fig. 3. Comparanda for the Drachten low-fl anged axe with lozenge-decoration (after: Butler 1996/1996: 177 fi g. 10b. no. 29; Needham 1983: fi g. 37; Schmidt & Burgess 1981: Pl. 30 no. 350; Pl. 32 no. 382; Harbison 1968, Pl. 38 no. 4).
5. Implications
The implications of the recent additions of two Bronze Age axes from Drachten are numerous. First, the axe decora-ted with lozenge-facets testifi es to the far-reaching contacts Bronze Age communities had. Whilst we by no means can argue (nor exclude!) a direct exchange between communi-ties around the Irish sea and those of the northern Nether-lands, in the networks that bounded these societies together, bronzes of exotic – cross-channel – origin fi gured promi-nently (Fontijn 2009: 133-136). Their outspoken, non-lo-cal, appearance (cf. Fontijn 2009: 142; Arnoldussen 2015: 24) may have been instrumental to their incorporation into hoards (e.g. Haverman & Sheridan 2006), deposition in stream-valleys (e.g. Van der Sanden 2014: 29), burials (e.g.
Fontijn 2003: 60 tab. 5.1) and as single objects (e.g. Butler & Steegstra 1997/1998: 178). In such an emic perception of goods exchanged, social rather than geographic origins will have mattered to exchange partners, and information on exact origins of objects may have been imprecise, moot or mythicized (cf. Fontijn 2009: 140-142). The embellished Drachten fl at axe (DB2864), was presumably – like many other imports from "far fl ung places" (Fontijn 2009: 139) – deposited in a wetland part of the landscape (fi g. 5, right). The fact that the undecorated fl at axe DB2865 – for which a continental (central German or even local) origin is plau-sible - ended-up in the same landscape zone, again stresses that objects of various origins were allowed to be (or even preferably? Cf. Arnoldussen 2015; Fontijn 2009: 140) mixed upon deposition.
Stijn A , Hannie S & Jorrit L
Fig. 4. Flat axes of Migdale- or Armorican affi nity from the Netherlands (DB2093 = Borger, DB2867=Opmeer, DB602=Gramsbergen, DB1128=Flevoland).
Second, the two new Drachten axes suggest that this part of the Netherlands was occupied by communities practi cing simi lar deposition practices to communities elsewhere. Whereas Fon-tijn (2009: 140) previously argued that in the Northern Nether-lands insular imports are chiefl y represented by rare ornaments (i.e. Haverman & Sheridan 2006) and aggrandized ceremo-nial weapons (i.e. Butler 1987: 32; Butler & Hogestijn 1988; Fontijn 2001), the current fi nds strongly suggest that in the northern Netherlands, insular axes fi gure in deposition just as they do elsewhere (e.g. Fontijn 2008; 2009: 144-147 tab. 8.1; Fontijn & Roymans 2019). Our ana lysis of the original context of deposition for the Bronze Age artefacts from Friesland is in strong agreement with this: a wetland depositional context can be argued for 10 of the 12 axes represented (fi g. 5).
Third, the distribution of Bronze Age artefacts presently known from Friesland suggest that our palaeogeographical
reconstructions of the Bronze Age underestimate the size and locations of inhabitable areas (fi g. 6). Whereas most of the bronzes are recovered from the eastern part of the province of Friesland – where the glacial boulder-clay plateau dips towards the west – no less than ten additional fi ndspots are mapped to the west of the presently discussed axes. Assuming that local communities did not boat-out for tens of kilometres from the eastern boulder-clay outcrops towards the peatbogs (even if navigable) in the west (but see Samson 2006: 380; 384), the obvious interpretation would be that in the eastern parts of Friesland, many more yet unmapped inhabitable boulder-clay outcrops most have existed (cf. Nicolay et al. 2019: 52 fi g. 19c vs. Vos et al. 2018: 53).
From such outcrops, the communities living there will have traversed the streamvalleys going west. Evidently both the peatlands and the streamvalleys of Friesland were deemed
A decorated axe from across the Channel: a remarkable fi nd from Friesland (the Netherlands)
suitable zones for object deposition throughout the Bronze Age. If our assumption is valid that these deposits were placed by communities living nearby, one can expect that (in developer-led archaeology) settlement sites will turn-up in the western part of Friesland as well.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Stuart Needham for his sharp eye and mind, who pointed out the possible Cardiff Castle affi nity of DB2864 based on nothing more than poor-quality photos.
s e c n e r e f e R
ARNOLDUSSEN, S. 2015. Something near, something far: referencing of local and supra-regional origins in Middle- and Late Bronze Age hoards from the Northern Netherlands. In: P. SUCHOWSKA-DUCKE, S. SCOTT REITER & H. VAND-KILDE (eds.). Forging Identities. The Mobility of Culture in Bronze Age Europe. Report from a Marie Curie project 2009-2012 with concluding conference at Aarhus University, Moesgaard 2012. (BAR International Series 2771). Oxford:
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Fig. 5. Context of recovery for the Drachten axes (left) and overview of known (and reliable) contexts for Bronze Age bronzes in Friesland
Fig. 6. Palaeo-geographical map of Friesland at c. 2000 BC (left, from: Nicolay et al. 2019: 52 fi g. 19c: the darker tone denotes the presumed peat cover) and table of bronze artefacts registered in the Butler repository of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology (right).
DB no. Da ng - Type - Context
2864 EBA - Cardif castle flat axe - stream valley 2865 EBA - flat axe - stream valley
2863 LBA - spearhead - creek 192 MBA-B - spearhead - peat 193 EBA - Emmen low-flanged axe - Peat 194 LBA - Spearhead - peat
195 LBA - socketed axe - streamvalley Tjonger 196 MBA-B - Palstave - from peat
197 LBA - spearhead - from peat 199 MBA-B - palstave - unknown 201 LBA - Bracelet - Hoard in peat
201-204 LBA - Bracelet, pot and indet. - from tumulus 205 EBA - flat axe - streamvalley
206 LBA-EIA - Neckring - Peat
659 LBA - Socketed axe - creek (dredged?) 908 LBA - Socketed axe - streamvalley 1073 MBA-B - Palstave - streamvalley Tjonger 1420 LBA - Sword - streamvalley (Tjonger/Kuinder) 1424 LBA - spearhead - from gravel (quarry/dredge) 1422 LBA - Tanged knife - peat
1423 LBA - socketed knife - streamvalley 1825 MBA-B - palstave - unknown 2012 BA - axe - unknown 2849 MBA-B - Palstave - from gravel? 2544 MBA-A - flat axe - unclear 2547 MBA - Chisel - from streamvalley 2563 MBA - tanged arrowhead - unclear 2604 LBA - Neckring - peat
2707 LBA - Socketed chisel - near Pingo scar 2812 LBA - spearhead - streamvalley 2713 LBA - spearhead - streamvalley Tjonger 2505 LBA - bracelet - streamvalley Tjonger
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