METALLURGICAL STUDY OF AN ARMORICAN SOCKETTED AXE

Armorican axes with sockets are objects that are found in large number s in buried deposits. These axes, made at the beginning of the Iron Ag e (Hallstatt), are made of leaded bronze, often very rich in lead. Bec ause of this composition, they are considered as being non functional and archaeologists think they were paleocurrency. The metallurgical st udy of one of these axes has revealed new chemical and structural aspe cts that would allow other explanations for these objects.