Establishing life trajectories for British and Irish Middle Bronze Age palstave axes

• Multi-method approach to ascertain life trajectories of MBA palstave axes. • Common trajectory is preparation for, and minimal application in, functional use. • Preservation more usual than destruction at deposition/displacement. • Variability suggests other trends like creation for use as ingots or for deposition. This paper presents the results of chemical characterisation, metallography, metalwork wear-analysis, and damage assessment conducted on 102 British and Irish Middle Bronze Age (c. 1500–1000 BCE) tin-bronze palstave axes. There is uncertainty regarding the role of palstave axes; they very likely facilitated ongoing forest clearances, yet expressed often in hearsay, is the ‘pristine’ nature of their recovery condition. A better appreciation of underlying metallurgy, combined with insight from prior experimentation with replica palstave axes, has allowed a more nuanced evaluation of wear characteristics and use-intensity. This, alongside available contextual data, has permitted the life trajectories of prehistoric palstave axes found within the archaeological record to be determined, highlighting a common narrative of preparation for, and minimal application in, functional use, with preservation favoured over destruction at deposition, as well as the considerable variability presented within their life histories.