TREASURE ANNU AL REPORT 2005/6 - Portable Antiquities Scheme

fragments. Weights between: 228 & 15g;
total weight: 1.874g.
4. Ingot fragment with surviving smooth parallel
surfaces but no original edges. The typology does not
correspond with that of a standard Bronze Age ingot,
nor is it a Bronze Age artefact. Despite its anomalous
shape, it was found with the rest of the material and
should therefore be considered prehistoric;
weight 241g.
Discussion: The socketed axe is of South-eastern
type which anchors the hoard securely in the Ewart
Park phase of the late Bronze Age. The copper ingot
fragments are also typical of the period as is the
pottery sherd. Many similar hoards of this period
have been retrieved; these centuries coincide with
the appearance of the earliest iron in Britain (Collard
et al. 2007) though the relationship to the increased
bronze deposition is not necessarily a straightforward
replacement as has been argued (Burgess 1979, 275–6).
The evidence for iron is relatively sparse for the early
1st millennium BC indicating a very slow adoption
process. Needham (2007) has recently argued that
there was a collapse in the value systems surrounding
the acquisition and deposition of bronze which might
provide an explanation.
Disposition: Colchester & Ipswich Museums Service
hopes to acquire.
P SEALEY & B ROBERTS
56. maldon area, Essex: Late bronze Age
base-metal group (2005 T145)
Date: 1000–800 BC
Discovery: Found while metal-detecting by Mr J
Thurgood in March (1 & 3) & April (2 & 4) 2005, no
more than 3m apart.
Description:
1. Socketed axe, South-eastern Class A1, incomplete.
Double mouth moulding. The axe is wedge-shaped
in profile, sub-rectangular in plan with a sub-square
mouth. There are vestiges of two casting jets. Casting
seams are clearly visible on both sides, and partially on
the loop where the original surface survives. Length:
98.6mm; width of blade edge: 44mm; weight: 255g.
2. Socketed axe, unrecognised type, incomplete. Mouth
and loop missing, much of both faces and sides intact.
The socket is rectangular. The original surface is missing
from the other face so it is not possible to see if this
decoration was present. No trace of casting seams.
Length: 80.5mm; width of blade edge: 42mm;
weight: 131.3g.
3. Ingot, edge fragment. Plano-convex. Enough of the
curved edge survives to indicate that the complete
ingot would have had a diameter of 90mm approx.
Length: 72.6mm; weight: 315g.
4. Ingot, edge fragment. Plano-convex. Uneven surface
and large voids on the lower surface. Dimensions:
72.5mm x 57.5mm; weight: 314.8g.
Discussion: This small group of artefacts, dating
from the Ewart Park phase, constitute types which
commonly occur in Late Bronze Age hoards in southeastern
Britain. No. 2 shows signs of having been
deliberately broken for inclusion in the hoard as scrap
metal. The presence of an incomplete axe which may
be interpreted as scrap, mixed with ingots of raw
material, suggests that this is a founder’s hoard.
Disposition: Colchester Museums.
P SEALEY, C McDONALD & S WORRELL
57. mid Essex: Late bronze Age base-metal hoard
(2005 T299 & 2006 T562)
Date: 1000–800 BC
Discovery: Found while metal detecting in August
2005, nos. 1–3 in very close proximity and no. 4
approx. 15cm away. No. 5 (2006 T562) was found in
November 2006, close to the findspot of no. 4.
Description:
1. Socketed axe, South-eastern Class A. Complete.
Double mouth moulding, sub-square mouth with
rounded corners. Internal ribs on both faces. The
casting seams are barely visible on both sides and on
the loop. The axe has been left with the socket full of
earth. Colchester museums have taken an x-ray which
indicates that some organic material, possibly leather,
survives within. Length: 80.3mm; blade width: 44.6mm;
weight: 174.3g.
2. Copper-alloy ring; complete. The ring is of uneven
thickness, broadening significantly for approximately
one third of the circumference. Casting sprue at the
centre on the outside of the wider edge. External
diameter: 20.2mm; weight: 7.46g.
3. Sheet gold circular disc; flat in section. The disc
has an integral down turned flange, and four circular
perforations. Perforations with an instrument from
one side only and no efforts were made to remove
the burrs created as a result of this process. Both the
front and reverse of the disc are plain. The reverse has
tiny flecks of copper-alloy on its surface. Diameter:
31.2mm; weight: 1.20g.
4. Socketed knife, Thorndon type. Incomplete. Damaged
with a rough diagonal break on both sides of the
socket. One circular perforation remains intact on one
face of the socket, the opposite perforation has been
bisected by the break. The integral blade extends from
the top of the socket and is lentoid in section. Length:
98.8mm; blade width: 16.3mm; weight: 29.5g.
5. A convex disc with a cylinder-shaped protuberance
in the centre. The protuberance has a constriction in
the uppermost third, ending in a rounded knob. Four
equidistant, circular rivet holes have been cut into the
circular disc. It looks to have a copper-alloy core, plated
with a gold-alloy. External diameter: 31mm; height
25mm; weight: 35.8g. Surface analysis of the plating
indicated gold and silver contents of approximately
52–55% and 39–42% respectively.
Discussion: This small hoard of artefacts dates to the
Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age. The hoarding
of metalwork at this period was not an uncommon
phenomenon, particularly in the south-east of Britain,
with more scattered examples elsewhere.
Nos. 3 and 5 have four rivet holes which match, and
the composition of the gold-alloy used to make both is
also very similar. It is therefore very probable that the
plated object and disc were attached to one another
in antiquity. No close parallels can be found for this
object. It is unlikely to be a shield boss, and does not
resemble other known Bronze Age shield bosses. It is
also unlikely that the back of a shield boss would have
been covered with gold, as the gold would not have
been visible when it was attached to a shield. There is
some resemblance between this object and the top
piece of crowns of Iron Age or Roman date.
Disposition: Chelmsford Museum; Chelmsford Museum
also hopes to acquire the addendum (2006 T562).
C McDONALD & J JOY
58. Tendring Area, Essex: bronze Age
base-metal hoard(2006 T131)
Date: c. 1000–800 BC
Discovery: Found by Mr N Fletton while metaldetecting
in March 2006, and Mr R Watcham in May
2006 (no. 5).
Description:
1. Socketed axe, South-eastern. Complete. Slightly
flared mouth, single mouth moulding. Slightly
expanded blade edge, no blade tip hollows. Blade edge
missing. Careful removal of casting sprues. Length
89.8mm; width of blade: 41.3mm; weight: 160g.
2. Socketed axe, South-eastern, Class A1 (Shoebury
variant). Complete. Upper moulding rounded and well
defined. The lower moulding is very poorly defined.
Square socket with rounded corners, the top of which
is hammered flat. Casting sprues largely intact, but
removed from the lower blade. Expanded blade edge,
poorly defined blade tip hollows. Length 81.2mm;
blade width: 41.8mm; weight: 169g.
3. Socketed axe, South-eastern Class A1 (Bilton variant).
Complete. Well-defined double mouth moulding.
Horizontal break at lower blade. Length 74.5mm;
weight: 188g.
4. Socketed axe, fragment. Very slightly expanded
blade, no blade tip hollows. Very narrow blade. Blade
edge missing. The fragment has been crushed by blows
to both faces close to the break. Casting sprues very
carefully removed. Length 54.3mm; width of blade:
39.6mm; weight 136g.
5. Socketed axe, fragment. Blade end. Slightly expanded
blade, poorly defined blade tip hollows. Fine horizontal
striations close to blade edge. Surface pitted and with
traces of hammer rippling. The fragment has been
crushed by blows to both faces close to the break.
Length 47.2mm; blade width: 37.9mm; weight 76g.
6. Winged-axe, fragment. The butt and blade are
incomplete. The fragment is part of the axe from
behind the blade, extending back to where the curved
wings spring. Casting sprues carefully removed.
Hammer rippling on blade. Length 67mm; weight 113g.
7. Socketed gouge, complete. Considerable surface
corrosion damage and pocking. Length 90.3mm; furrow
length: 59.8mm; weight 58g.
8. Socketed gouge. Flat collar at mouth. There is a large
removal from one side running from the collar towards
the blade end. Casting sprues largely intact. Length
90.5mm; furrow length: 67.9mm; weight 52g.
9. Tanged knife. Incomplete, surviving in three joining
fragments. The double-edged blade is lentoid in section
and there is a sub-circular hole for a rivet on the tang.
Length 137.1mm; blade width: 18.9–28mm;
weight 42g.
10. Awl, incomplete. Sub-rectangular in section at the
centre; round sectioned ends; one is pointed, and the
other (shorter) end is blunt. Length 34.9mm; weight: 4g.
11–22. 12 copper ingot fragments, including 5 planoconvex
edge fragments. Total weight: 1790g. Thickness:
24.4mm Diameter 13cm; Weight 219g.
23. Copper ingot. Complete, small plano-convex, with
flat triangular extension. Thickness: 15.3mm;
weight 77g.
Discussion: The artefacts retrieved represent a hoard
of Late Bronze Age scrap metalwork consisting of
complete and incomplete bronze tools as well as
copper ingot fragments. The South-eastern type
socketed axes in the hoard anchor the find securely
in the Ewart Park phase of the late Bronze Age; see
Bradfield, Essex (above no. 54) for discussion of Ewart
Park phase founder’s hoards.
However, bronze awls are seldom encountered in scrap
hoards because their small size could lead to them
being overlooked when spent metal was collected for
recycling. Along with artefacts such as pins, awls are
more common as finds on settlement sites (where
they presumably represent accidental loses).
Tendring area is further unusual in that it contains
a large component of copper ingot material, as
many Ewart Park scrap hoards with copper ingots
as the major component are quite rare. The copper
ingot material present in this find takes the form of
fragments of ingots that had been broken off the
parent ingot as it cooled after smelting of the copper.
Disposition: Colchester & Ipswich Museums Service.
S WORRELL & P SEALEY
36 BRONZE AGE BRONZE AGE 37