Curator Andy Ward shares an iron adze tool recovered during excavations at Lullingstone Park.
Posted 27th October 2023
For #FindsFriday we have this lovely Iron Adze. Adze can be used for a variety of uses with those combined with a hammer-head being specifically carpentry tools, and in some cases Adzes have also been used as Hoes. Iron Adzes are used from the Iron Age all the way to the Medieval Period before being replaced by steel.
What makes an adze different to an axe is that the blade is perpendicular to the handle, whereas an axe follows the line of the handle.
This adze was reportedly found during excavations at Lullingstone Park between 1966-69 (carried out by Graeme Horner), and came from Pit 15 dated to period II in an area known as The Pimple. Unfortunately, the box in which it was stored contained no further details so for now its exact date is unknown!
More research will be carried out on the society's historical collections as well as transferring objects to more up to date storage containers.
If you remember excavating at The Pimple, Lullingstone Park between 1966-69 do get in touch as the more information we can have about this excavation and its archive, the better.