That was my immediate thought when I started reading your post. My second thought was that bronze would need to be traded in regular 'ingots' and what better method than using standard axe-head moulds for that purpose. They would, for example, stack rather neatly, each one reversed on top of another. The problem now is with the end-user on being presented with over-tinned bronze ingots.
Explanation one: when being worked for whatever the end-user actually wanted bronze for, the extra tin gets bashed out/refined out
Explanation two: the brittleness is only relevant if you are going to use the bronze for axes
Are there any bronze-smiths in the house? [Perhaps you might post this on the AEL under Recent Archaeological Discoveries since we are more likely to run into them there.]
PS There are a number of 'matravers' in Dorset. What are they all about?
PPS Nos 2, 3, 4, 33, 30 and 27 on your map are all along the Michael Line. What's that all about?
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