TREASURE ANNU AL REPORT 2005/6 - Portable Antiquities Scheme

125–131. Casting jets; weights: 11–46g.
132–133. Casting waste; weights: 7.5 & 8g.
133–149. Ingot fragments; total weight (excluding nos.
134–136): 1398g.
Discussion: During the early first millennium BC, the
deposition of substantial quantities of bronze objects,
ingots and fragments in the landscape is evidenced
throughout eastern England and beyond. While it has
been argued that these represent storage for bronzesmiths,
few of these were recovered making votive
offerings a more likely explanation.
Disposition: Norwich Castle Museum.
A WEST
68. Keswick, Norfolk: Late bronze Age
base-metal group (2005 T409)
Date: c. 850–700 BC
Discovery: Found in the plough soil by NAU
Archaeology during controlled excavation in July 2005.
Description:
1. Corroded iron tool, probably an awl, rectangular in
section. Length: 44.9mm; weight: 3.34g.
2. Socketed axe of faceted type (Type Meldreth,
Schmidt and Burgess 1980), an oval socket with single
mouth moulding above a short collar and two hafting
ribs, one behind each face. All casting flashes have
been smoothed except on the collar. The cutting edge
is splayed and shows signs of wear Length: 103.3mm;
width of blade: 53.4mm; weight: 167.19g.
3. Socketed axe fragment of South-eastern Type with
ribbed decoration. Each face is decorated with four
evenly spaced ribs. There is a hafting rib on the inside
surface behind each face. None of the casting flashes
have been smoothed. Length: 57.1mm; weight: 114.44g.
4. Six extremely thin and crumpled fragments of gold
sheet, one decorated with a line of 12 circular punch
marks, and one further with similar but faint punch
marks. Such thin pieces can only have been used as
decoration, perhaps on clothing. They are similar to
those gold objects commonly known as basket earrings,
which may be hair ornaments. Lengths: 6–20mm; total
weight: 0.24g. Also with this find are some very tiny
and thin fragments of copper-alloy sheet and a strand
of organic material.
Discussion: It is suspected that these plough-soil
items are part of a dispersed hoard, with a possible
association to a sword fragment of a Late Bronze Age
type from the same field, probably Ewart Park (Rohl
and Needham 1998, figs. 37 & 38).
Late Bronze/Early Iron Age transitional hoards
containing Ewart Park/Llyn Fawr metalwork are not rare
in East Anglia and there is an abundance of hoards in
Norfolk. However, gold and iron artefacts are, though
not unusual, very rare additions to such transitional
hoards and only one parallel is known, Feltwell Fen,
Norfolk (Inventaria Arch. GB35). The only other English
transitional hoard containing gold objects comes from
St Erth, Cornwall (Treasure Annual Report 2002, no. 6).
It seems that iron artefacts were even less frequently
added to transitional and Early Iron Age hoards and
in fact, no small iron tools are known to have been
hoarded with their bronze counterparts (i.e. all early
iron socketed axes were single finds). It becomes
apparent therefore that if this fragmentary iron tool
was indeed part of the hoard, it would be the first
occurrence of an iron tanged tool in a Late Bronze/
Early Iron Age transitional hoard context.
Disposition: To be determined (archive: Norfolk
Museums Service).
D BRUNS & K HINDS
69. mylor, Cornwall: Late bronze Age
base-metal hoard (2005 T323)
Date: 750–650 BC
Discovery: Found by Mr P Burgess & Mr H Manson
while metal-detecting in August 2005; 33 of the axes
deposited in a ceramic container; nos. 1, 2, 3 & 4 were
found up to 15 yards away.
Description:
1. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete. Double
mouth moulding with bulbous upper and thinner lower
mouth moulding. Casting seams very thin and visibly
flattened at blade end. Blade only a little expanded,
sides straight. Faces decorated with three plain
moulded ribs. Possibly fine horizontal striations on both
faces close to cutting edge. Blade thinly cast with flaky
surface. Length: 131mm; blade width: 52.5mm.
2. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Clear, fine horizontal striations on both faces
close to cutting edge. Length: 131mm;
blade width: 53mm.
3. Two joining mouth fragments of socketed axe,
Sompting Type. They complete socketed axe no. 8.
Lengths: 33 & 35mm.
4. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 132mm; blade width: 52.5mm.
5. Socketed axe (SF 34), Sompting Type. Complete.
Double mouth moulding with bulbous upper and
thinner lower mouth moulding. Square mouth with
rounded corners. Casting seams very thin and visibly
flattened at blade end. Blade only a little expanded,
sides straight. Faces decorated with three plain
moulded ribs. Blade very thinly cast. Length: 129mm;
blade width: 55mm.
6. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 131mm; blade width: 53mm.
7. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 131mm; blade width: 53mm.
8. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Incomplete. Double
mouth moulding with bulbous upper and thinner lower
mouth moulding. Casting seams very thin and visibly
flattened at blade end. Blade only a little expanded,
sides straight. Faces decorated with three plain
moulded ribs. Two joining fragments of mouth broken
off (no. 3). Length: 131mm; blade width: 52.5mm.
9. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 131mm; blade width: 52.5mm.
10. Socketed axe (SF 36), Sompting Type. Complete.
A little miscast double mouth moulding with bulbous
upper and thinner lower mouth moulding. Square
mouth with rounded corners. Casting seams very thin
and visibly flattened at blade end. Blade only a little
expanded, sides straight. Both faces decorated with
three plain moulded ribs. Length: 131mm;
blade width: 52mm.
11. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Cutting edge probably not sharpened after
casting. Length: 131mm;
blade width: 52.5mm.
12. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 131mm; blade width: 53.5mm.
13. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. There is one deep dent on one of the faces,
which may have been inflicted by a hammer (?).
Length: 131mm; blade width: 54mm.
14. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 131mm; blade width: 53mm.
15. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 132.5mm; blade width: 52.5mm.
16. Socketed axe, Sompting/South Welsh Hybrid
(?). Complete. Single mouth moulding, rectangular/
hexagonal mouth. Both faces decorated with five
moulded ribs terminating in pellets. Thick-walled,
heavy implement. Similar to Late Bronze Age socketed
axes of South Welsh/Stogursey type, but made with
two-runner casting technique (not four like S/W Type).
Length: 116mm; blade width: 60mm.
17. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 131.5mm; blade width: 53mm.
18. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 132mm; blade width: 53mm.
19. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Blade slightly damaged. Length: 131mm; blade
width: 51mm.
20. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Socket contains small copper-alloy fragments
(possibly casting residue?). Length: 132mm; blade
width: 53mm.
21. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 130mm; blade width: 53mm.
22. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no.1. Blade shows signs of initial stages of reworking;
i.e. hammer marks, but no pattern of wear.
Length: 131mm; blade width: 52mm.
23. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no.1. Very heavy implement. Length: 132mm; blade
width: 53mm.
24. Socketed axe, Possible Sompting/South Welsh
Hybrid, complete. Single mouth moulding. Rectangular/
hexagonal mouth. Casting seams very large and
pronounced, still present. Blade only a little expanded,
sides meet at casting seams at an angle (thus
hexagonal cross-section). Loop very large. Both faces
decorated with three moulded ribs terminating in
pellets. Thick-walled, heavy implement. Similar to axes
of South Welsh/Stogursey type (see no. 16). Length:
138mm; blade width: 60.5mm.
25. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no.1. Length: 132mm; blade width: 53mm.
26. Socketed axe, Possible Sompting/South Welsh
Hybrid, complete. Single mouth moulding. Rectangular/
hexagonal mouth. Casting seams very pronounced and
still present. Blade only a little expanded, sides meet at
casting seams at a sharp angle (thus hexagonal crosssection).
Both faces decorated with five moulded ribs
terminating in pellets. Thick-walled, heavy implement.
Similar to axes of South Welsh/Stogursey type (see no.
16). Length: 11.5mm; blade width: 60mm.
27. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete. Double
mouth moulding with bulbous upper and thinner lower
mouth moulding. Square mouth with rounded corners.
Small casting flaw (hole. near loop) Casting seams
very thin and flattened at blade end. Blade only a little
expanded, sides straight. Faces decorated with three
plain moulded ribs. Light pitting at the centre of one
facing during casting. Blade thinly cast. Length: 131mm;
blade width: 52mm.
28. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete. Double
mouth moulding with very bulbous upper and thinner
lower mouth moulding. Square mouth with rounded
corners. Casting seams very thin and flattened at
blade end. Blade only a little expanded, sides straight.
Faces decorated with three plain moulded ribs. Length:
135mm; blade width: 53mm.
29. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 132mm; blade width: 53.5mm.
30. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 131mm; blade width: 53mm.
31. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Possibly fine horizontal striations on both faces
close to cutting edge. Light pitting on surface during
casting. Length: 131mm; blade width: 53mm.
32. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Possibly fine horizontal striations on both faces
close to cutting edge. Length: 132mm;
blade width: 53mm.
33. Socketed axe, Sompting Type. Complete, description
as no. 1. Length: 132mm; blade width: 52mm.
34. Socketed axe (SF 35), Sompting Type. Complete,
description as no. 1. Length: 132mm;
blade width: 53mm.
35. Casting Jet. Complete, relationship to the hoard
uncertain. Length: 38mm.
36. Coarse-ware shouldered Plain-ware jar with a
weakly tripartite profile, dark grey clay tempered with
large rock pieces. Broken in situ and with much of the
upper part was missing. Restored height: at least 18cm.
Discussion: This group dates from the Llyn Fawr phase
of the Late Bronze/Early Iron Age transition. The axe
types represented in this hoard are so far only known
from south-east and southern England and up to now
50 BRONZE AGE BRONZE AGE 51