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Axe (without head) of unknown age

Category:

Tools > axe > axe made of iron

Finder:

SvenOWL

Find ID:

VT-M5JF486N

Published:

19.1.2026

Description:

Does anyone know anything about axes and can roughly determine whether this one is modern or older? It's still six months until the next archaeological presentation, and I don't want to store a potentially modern axe for that long.

Inscription:

Material:

Iron

Weight:

330,0 g

Length:

95,0 mm

Condition:

Mostly preserved

Detector find:

Yes

Country:

Germany

County:

Minden-Lübbecke

Please help us identify this find!

Front / Cleaned with water & brush

Rear / Cleaned with water & brush

Cleaned with water & brush

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Jan 19.1.2026

It's definitely great that you took it and posted it! Since it doesn't have a hole for a handle, or at least that's how it looks, it's a hatchet, not an axe. (Thanks to Ute Bartels 😌) I'm curious to see what the experts will say about its identification.

SvenOWL 22.1.2026

I didn't even know that axes were made of iron. I only thought they were made of bronze. Learned something new again.

Markus Wehmer 25.1.2026

I'm not even sure if that part belongs to an axe at all... There's no cutting edge, just a blunt end, and it doesn't widen into a socket or a socket, but remains uniformly flat. It reminds me most of the handle of an iron cleaver or a (rough) peasant's knife. Of course, it would then need some kind of covering, like wooden handle scales (you'd see rivet holes) or some kind of wrapping. How does it feel in the hand? It's also possible it's part of an agricultural machine, but I'm not very familiar with that. Based on the photos, it's probably not an axe.

1 Reply

SvenOWL 27.1.2026

I consulted with the archaeologist and he also said that it is probably neither an axe head nor a hatchet, but he might only be able to say what it is when the next find is presented.