Here's the link to what appears to be a new "Viking" axe discovery.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-16829808

Others think it might be Roman or some kind of agricultural tool.

From the look of it in the picture, I see no connection to viking weaponry whatsoever. It rather looks like a tool axe of more recent manufacture.

Peter is certainly an expert and I am certainly NOT but that axe head looks like a tool as opposed to a weapon.


It could be a Viking era tool that may have been used as a weapon but unless it was buried in someone's bones I don't know how that could be determined.

I definitely agree with Peter. If I read it correctly, the article is claiming the axe was found at the site of a battle. Maybe they are trying to claim an axe of this type:
[ Linked Image ]
(Modern replica by Paul Binns)

The axe find is much closer in form to the carpentry axes Peter posted than it is to a battle axe... I'm curious who these "archaeologists" are that are making these claims. Seems like a clearly modern (compared to the Viking Age) axe to me.[/img]

It certainly looks nothing at all like Viking period axes I have seen, more like something from 19th century - I believe I have seen firemans tool of 19th century where "axe" portion of it looked a lot like that one.

Let me add to the chorus of nay sayers here. It's really hard to get a good picture of the ax head from just the one view but I would imagine what one would see from the ends is a thicker cross section towards the eye of the head. This would indicate a tool rather than weapon. I have also seen no examples of an ax head shaped like that in any archaeology books from that period.

Peter Johnsson said, "-Thing is, I´ve never seen a viking era tool axe that looks like this either."

Once again I agree but it could be a Viking Age something. I'll readily admit I have no idea what. In the photo it looks like the socket is missing; could it be an adze? Maybe? I'd like to think that a trained archeologist would be able to tell the difference between something from the tenth century and something from the eighteenth century so I'm trying to leave a door open, you know?

That's a 19th/20th century Kent pattern axe, found about 20 miles away from where I'm sitting.

I've mailed contacts in the relevent museum and archaeology groups to ask on what basis it's being claimed as 'viking'.

Wouldn't be the first time, I'm sure! ;)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-16907224

Thought as much.

Bummed out Man! I thought for sure some dude with a horned helmet dropped his axe while he was riding his mammoth!