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The Prehistory Collection at Abergavenny Museum: A Catalogue By Emma-Kate Burns The Prehistory collection at Abergavenny has been largely donated to the museum as chance finds from the local area. This catalogue lists, describes and illustrates the stone and flint items, and also the two bronze axes, in the museum's collection. The untitled references in brackets, eg. (Correspondence with Dr. H.N. Savory), refer to correspondence relating to the museum's collection now in the museum's archaeology archive. (1) Perforated Axe-hammer (A.21.1961) (Provenance Unknown) Early Bronze Age Dimensions: 17.6 x 8cm Unfortunately the provenance of this axe is unknown. Such implements are more common in West Wales but it is still quite possible that axe-hammer was a local find. "The basic form is roughly boat-shaped in plan, one end being sharp for use as an axe, the other blunt for use as a hammer."(Grimes, W.F.W., The Prehistory of Wales, Cardiff, 1951). "The stone axe-hammer is a very fine specimen, indeed I think I can say it is the freshest example of this large coarse type from Wales which I have ever seen, and it is a great pity, for this reason, that there should be no exact provenance. It is true that implements of this type are much more common in the western counties of Wales. It is the Early-Middle Bronze Age type with splayed blade and made of coarse green stone. (Correspondence with Dr H.N. Savory, 1961). Petrological studies of the rock have identified it as a picrite implement (CBA Group XII) from an unlocated factory in the area of Cwm Mawr, Cormdon Hill, Montgomeryshire (Identified by Prof. Shotton, 1961). Apart from a similar example in the Brecknock Museum, which was probably found in the area of Cwm-du, this was the first implement of this type to be found as far south as the Usk Basin. Subsequent finds such as the axe-hammer found in St. Julian's Wood, Newport (now in the Newport Museum's Prehistoric Collection), have further increased the distribution. Although the axe is now rough in texture the surface would have been originally polished, but has subsequently suffered from corrosion. Reference: "Guide Catalogue of the Bronze Age Collections", H.N. Savory, National Museums of Wales, 1980. Donor: Mr Atkins, 1961 (Bought at auction from Allensmore Court, Herefordshire). (2) Mace Head (A.20.1961) OS (Sheet 161) GR 3914 Mesolithic to Bronze Age Dimensions: 10 x 8.5cm Found in a stream near to Little Berth-Glyd Farm, Llantilio Crossenny.