I Dig Sheffield | Digging Around Sheffield and the Peaks

Dimensions : Length 11.5cm, width 5.3cm.

Site name : Stanton Moor
Site type : Burial site

Time period : Bronze Age
Material : Stone
Object type : Grave goods; Weapon
Museum number : 1979.1089

Cairn T36 on Stanton Moor was a large one cairn, about 9m in diameter. The excavation showed that it had been previously excavated, with a large disturbed area in the centre of about 30m square. There is no record of this work.

Only one burial was found in the undisturbed part of the cairn. It was a cremation in a small pit dug into the original ground surface on the south side. The pit was roughly circular, about 30cm deep and about 45cm across. It contained cremated bones, charcoal and this battleaxe.

A section was taken from the axe to identify the type of stone. This shows it is made of dolerite, formed from lava from ancient volcanoes. Dolerite is found in Derbyshire, suggesting this was made locally. However, it may have come from a dolerite source in another part of the country.

Battleaxes are usually found with male burials. However, the cremated bones from the pit were those of a young woman who was about 20 years old.

Find out more...

Bibliography :
Heathcote, J. P. , 1954

Glossary:
Bronze Age
Cairn
Cremation
Disturbed burial
Excavation
Undisturbed burial

Related objects
Replica Benty Grange helmet in use
Barbed and tanged arrowheads from Stanton Moor
Stone axe from Arbor Low henge
Macehead from Liffs Low

BACK