A bronze socketed axehead was found during metal detecting at Ospisdale. It is complete (L: 71mm) but worn, and has a distinctive ‘back to front’ socket plan resulting from the width of the sides being proportionately greater than the width of the upper body. As such, it is likely to be late in the British/Irish socketed axe series, dating to the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age transition, c800BC. Claimed as Treasure Trove (TT 166/14), allocated to the Historylinks Museum, Dornoch. See DES entry for picture. <1>

Information from the Treasure Trove database describes a small socketed axehead with surface loss and also a long prisim blade with rounded end and squared end, made of a light grey/brown chert with white flecks - retouching on one side. <2> <3>

Historylinks Acc. No. 2014_041_19. <4>

The axehead is pictured on the Dornoch Historylinks Image Library, No. 12325. See link below. <5>

Four figure grid reference given is marginal. A full GR for the object is held by TT. GW 09/07/20

<1> Cowie, T, 2015, Creich, Ospisdale, Metal detector find, Discovery Excav Scot, New, vol. 16, pp. 97 (Text/Publication/Article). SHG28237.

<2> Treasure Trove, 2019, Highland Finds from Treasure Trove Annual Reports 2004-18, TT 166/14 (Dataset/Database File). SHG28208.

<3> Treasure Trove, 2019, Treasure Trove Artefact Reports for Highland Area 1994-2018, TT 133/14 (Text/Record Form). SHG28370.

<4> Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH), 2019, Finds Collection at Historylinks Museum, 2014_041_19 (Text/Record Form/Project Recording Form). SHG28376.

<5> Dornoch Historylinks, Dornoch Historylinks Image Library, No. 12325 (Interactive Resource/Online Database). SHG25535.