Janis Smy tells us the plan:
“At Halesworth & District Museum we are proud to display the Wissett Hoards – one of the best collections of Bronze Age palstave axe heads in the country. And now they are about to be the subject of academic research.”
“Jil Spoto, from Cambridge University, has asked us for permission to carry out metallurgical analysis, under the supervision of Prof Marcos Martinon-Torres, Pitt-Rivers Professor of Archaeological Science. The project will involve 3D scanning of the hoards (11 axe heads plus other artefacts found at the same time) and sampling for chemical analysis and lead isotope analysis.”
“We hope this work will reveal detailed information about the hoards, including possible sources for the metal, whether several axes were cast in the same mould, and whether they had been used before they were deposited in the ground.”
“If time allows, further comparative analysis may be made on the hoards we have from Bramfield and Blythburgh. The initial work will be performed in February at the Museum, with minute samples being analysed later in a laboratory.”
Find out more about the Wissett Hoard on the Halesworth & District Museum website.