A copper flat axehead from Wester Cartmore Farm, Lochgelly, Fife : a cautionary tale

In 1995 a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age copper flat axehead was discovered by a metal detectorist in a field near Lochgelly, Fife. Further investigation revealed that the find-spot was located in a glacially deepened depression containing organic sediments. Although the precise stratigraphic location of the axehead could not be ascertained, the find circumstances appeared superficially to be in keeping with deposition of metalwork in a wetland' setting. In the event, pollen analysis showed this to be untenable. The results provide a salutary reminder of the need for caution when interpreting the possible significance of discoveries of metalwork from peat deposits, in the absence of a secure context and independent dating evidence.