Hoard of Bronze Axes from Windsor. 221 
they have weathered, in fact they appear to be almost 
composed of a bronze * slag/ The analysis given below 
seems to confirm this. The patina is not of the usual enamel- 
like description, and cannot be scraped off or removed arti- 
ficially. By the aid of acid a portion of the patina was 
removed from one side of one of the smaller fragments, 
revealing a pitted and scoriaceous -like surface to the matrix. 
The removal of the patina, however, did not in any way 
assist in defining the rib-like markings below the stop ridges. 
The brittleness is most marked, pieces chipping off even with 
ordinary handling. 
The probability is that owing to the mixture of impurities, 
the axes in this hoard were found to be unsuitable for ordinary 
purposes and were discarded. In almost all these particulars 
the Windsor hoard resembles a large hoard found more 
recently at Pear Tree, near Southampton, and described by 
Mr. W. Dale in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries , 
1898. pp. 129-131. Two of these are in the British Museum, 
the remainder, I believe, is at Winchester. 
In view of the unusual character of the ‘ bronze * in these 
axes, I readily agreed to a suggestion that one should.be 
analysed by Professor Cecil H. Desch, of the Sheffield 
University. He writes ‘ My assistant has now completed 
the analysis of the bronze implements you sent. As the 
composition was a rather puzzling one, he repeated the 
analysis very carefully, and I now enclose his final result. 
The total still falls far short of 100, and this is evidently 
due to oxide. The casting really represents a failure, as the 
amount of oxygen and also of sulphur is so great that the 
metal is hopelessly brittle 
Analysis of a Prehistoric Bronze Implement from the 
Hull Museum. 
Element. 
Per cent 
Copper 
7879 
Tin 
16-49 
Nickel ... 
0-49 
Lead 
0*09 
Iron 
trace 
Zinc ... ... ... 
nil 
Sulphur 
o-68 
Total 
96-54 
The remainder consists apparently of oxide, for which there 
is no accurate method of analysis/ 
In Evans’s ‘ Ancient Bronze Implements of Great Britain ’ 
(page 421), analyses are given of a number of bronze axes, 
1922 July 1 
