14th June 2022:

A hoard of palstave axeheads dating to the Bronze Age was found during a Jubilee weekend event organised by the Metal Detectives Group. A few days later, OA was on hand to assist with the excavation and recovery of the objects.

One Sunday in early June during a weekend metal detecting rally in the Buckinghamshire countryside, detectorist Alan found three palstave axeheads across a small area before locating the main hoard deposit. Mark Becher of the Metal Detectives Group, which organised the event, called our small finds specialist, Anni Byard, who advised them to backfill the hole and secure the site. The following week, and in consultation with the local finds liaison officer, a small team from OA returned to carry out a rescue excavation to record the discovery and lift the objects.

In total, six axeheads were exposed, recorded and lifted, making nine in total. The objects had been placed in a small, hastily backfilled pit on the southeast-facing slope of a hill. The palstave axeheads date from around 1300-1100 BC and may include Continental types. Some had been used, while others were fresh from the mould.

The objects are now being processed in accordance with the Treasure Act. A selection of photos from the excavation are shown below.