Treasure Annual Report 1998-1999 - Portable Antiquities Scheme

maximum width: 14 mm; weight: 399.91g.
Note: Large neck-ring: 86 per cent for gold; smaller
neck-ring: 80 per cent for gold.
Disposition: Dorset County Museum
Valuation: £110,000
A WEST AND S P NEEDHAM
8 Ilchester, Somerset: Folded fragment of gold
Date: Possibly Late Bronze Age, about 1150–750 BC
Finder: Mr G Sinfield
Date of discovery: 1999
Circumstances of discovery: While searching with a
metal-detector.
Description: A distorted strip of metal currently with
two long edges folded inward and crushed against the
main body; probably originally a ‘C’ section band. The
two ends are both breaks and are partly burred, while
there are various cracks and dents resulting from the
crushing. This is a small, heavily damaged and
nondescript fragment and inevitably therefore difficult
to identify with any confidence. The likely original
sectional form and the metal composition could both
be accommodated among the Late Bronze Age
bracelet series (about 1150–750 BC), but this remains a
tentative identification.
Dimensions: Existing length: 22 mm; width: 8.5–9.0
mm; weight: 4.04g.
Note: Approximately 70 per cent for gold.
Disposition: Disclaimed; returned to Reporting Centre.
S P NEEDHAM
9 Dorking, Surrey: Late Bronze Age gold penannular
ring
(Fig. 9)
Date: Late Bronze Age, about 1150–750 BC
Finder: Mr Jason Thurbin
Date of discovery: 7 November 1999
Circumstances of discovery: While searching with a
metal-detector.
Description: A thick penannular ring, the band of
Treasure Annual Report 1998 - 1999 13
Prehistoric Artefacts
circular section and tapering slightly towards the
terminals. The surface shows alternating radial stripes
of slightly different golden colours. The object appears
to be composite, with a precious metal cover wrapped
around a presumed base-metal core. This is a familiar
type of the Late Bronze Age, about 1150–750 BC.
Dimensions: Maximum diameter: 15.6 mm; weight: 4.54g.
Note: X-ray fluorescence analysis indicates that the
two different coloured stripes have gold contents of
approximately 74 per cent and 58 per cent respectively.
It has not been possible to analyse the core.
Disposition: Guildford Museum hopes to acquire.
Valuation: £350
(fig. 9) Dorking
S P NEEDHAM
10 Lower Frittiscombe, Devon: Two Late Bronze Age
gold penannular rings
(Fig. 10)
Date: 1150–750 BC
Finder: Mr G P Fisher
Date of discovery: 11 April 1999
Circumstances of discovery: While searching with a
metal-detector.
Description: Two small penannular rings of solid
gold, the larger tapering slightly at the terminals.
These two rings fall into the Late Bronze Age
(1150–750 BC) tradition of ornaments sometimes