TREASURE ANNU AL REPORT 2005/6 - Portable Antiquities Scheme

Width: 14.89mm; thickness: 6.52mm; weight (excluding
fragments): 12.9g.
2. Gilded silver square-headed brooch on lower half
of body. A small square-headed brooch of Kentish-
Continental type. The brooch is cast in silver, with
gilding on the front. The gilding has worn on most
areas of high relief, and the edges of the brooch also
show some signs of wear. The brooch has a rectangular
head-plate with a central panel of moulded decoration
comprising 8 short vertical lines within a raised border.
Around the outer edge of the head-plate is a zone
of incised or stamped decoration comprising a series
of 15–16 half circles; similar decoration occurs along
the lower edges of the foot-plate. The foot-plate is
lozenge-shaped with half-circled side-terminals below
rampant/crouching beasts and two scrolls on the
foot-plate terminals. An integral hinge and catch-plate
are present on the reverse, the former retaining part
of the iron pin/spring. There are faint, irregular, incised
lines visible around the edges of the head-plate and
foot-plate backs. Length: 52.83mm; width: 21.16mm;
thickness: 7.76mm; weight 9.3g.
3. Silver(?) disc brooch on lower half of body, near
SF3. A disc brooch, possibly of silver, of composite
construction (not to be confused with a Kentish
composite disc brooch, a quite distinct brooch type).
The brooch comprises a circular, concave body, which is
incomplete, with breaks around the majority of its rim.
The central front of the brooch has a short cylindrical
boss attached, topped by a pointed circular plate.
This in turn has a small central setting containing
a translucent dark brown globular glass inlay (now
loose, but still in place). The panel around this inlay is
damaged, with a split across it. This panel is decorated
with a series of nine identical sub-triangular bearded
faces. A similar band of decoration occurs on the main
brooch body, immediately around the central boss,
comprising another 20 of these bearded faces (two
of which are missing due to a break). In each gap
between the chins of these faces is a moulded pellet,
and a narrow band of beading surrounds this band of
decoration. There is then a plain undecorated band
encircled by a narrow band with moulded zigzag motif
(perhaps in imitation of a niello-inlaid band) and finally
a faint band of beading around the outer edge of the
brooch. The reverse is plain, and has two copper alloy
rectangular panels riveted to it by means of copperalloy(?)
rivets through the main brooch body. These
form the catch-plate and hinge-plate. The latter is
broken, with two fragments present but detached.
The catch-plate retains part of the iron pin. There is an
unidentified substance adhering to parts of the reverse
of the brooch, and possibly also some traces of textile
preserved amongst this substance. Diameter: 45.64mm;
thickness: 9.08mm; weight: 19g.
4. Beads, glass, amber and crystal on lower half of
body. A group of beads comprising 1 rock crystal bead,
12 amber beads and 10 glass beads.
5. Rock crystal ball in silver casing on lower half of
body. Rock crystal ball, with heavily pitted/damaged
surface. The ball is held in a silver casing, comprising
two bands of silver set at 90˚ to each other,
themselves attached to a cylindrical silver projection
with an (incomplete) copper alloy suspension loop.
One of the silver bands encircling the crystal ball
is broken, although the broken half is present as 4
detached fragments. Overall height is 37.27mm.
Overall diameter is 27.76mm, whilst the diameter of
the crystal ball itself is 25.33mm. Weight, excluding
fragments, is 24.9g.
6. Copper-alloy brush case. Sheet copper-alloy tube
with incomplete copper-alloy suspension loop at closed
end. Copper-alloy objects, possibly brushes, inside.
Length: 60.34mm; diameter: 6.54mm; weight: 4.2g.
7. Iron latchlifters on lower half of body. A complex
of iron stems and suspension rings, probably from
an assemblage of latchlifters/keys. These objects are
fragmentary and heavily corroded, but fragments
of two stems and the associated series of rings
and miscellaneous fragments suggest at least two
latchlifters worn in close proximity. Minimum
weight: 10.7g.
8. Raptor claw, pierced. Claw from a bird of prey,
pierced, with part of a copper-alloy suspension loop
attached. Length: 21.26mm; width: 5.8mm; thickness:
10.63mm; weight: 0.3g.
9. Miscellaneous fragments. Three lumps of preserved
organic remains, fused to iron fragments, including
textile and possibly wood. Weight: 3.2g.
Discussion: Saucer brooches were manufactured in
both applied and cast forms and originate in northern
Germany during the first half of the 5th century
AD. Earlier types generally fall within a size range of
28–48mm diameter, with later examples ranging
between 48–82mm (Walton Rogers 2007, 113–114).
The chronology of saucer brooch use has not yet been
closely subdivided, but the diameter of the pair in 2006
T376a, at 34–36mm, would suggest manufacture at
some point during the mid 5th to mid 6th centuries.
The saucer brooches in 2006 T376b are of similar date.
Groups of silver wire rings similar to those found in this
grave have been recovered from burials at Ringlemere
in east Kent (see this volume no. 223), where all the
excavated graves appear to date to the 5th or very
early 6th century; a similar date for grave 2006 T376b
therefore seems probable. The two brooches in 2006
T376c probably fastened a front-opening jacket or
overdress, and the associated beads would probably
also have been associated with this garment. The
combination of a pair of brooches worn on a frontfastening
garment, along with the wearing of a crystal
ball in a suspended sling, suggest a costume of the east
Kentish elite of the 6th century, a view strengthened
by the Kentish square-headed brooch in this burial.
The latter brooch is an example of Kentish-Continental
type, combining geometric ornament with zoomorphic
elements. Specifically, it falls within a group designated
Åberg type 132 by Brugmann (Parfitt & Brugmann
1997, 38–39, fig.14). One copper-alloy example, from
Mill Hill grave 105C, has a garnet setting on the footplate.
Mill Hill grave 105 was dated by Brugmann to
her east Kentish phase III, c. AD 530/40–560/70 (ibid.
97), but this brooch type can also occur in her phase
II, c. AD 500–530/40. The bead assemblage from this
burial includes three examples of so-called ‘Traffic
Light’ beads (polychrome opaque glass beads of red,
yellow and green colour combination). Brugmann, in
her study of early Anglo-Saxon glass beads, placed
these in her bead group A1, dating to c. AD 450–530
(Brugmann 2004, 34, 44–52, 70). Traffic Light beads
occur most commonly in East Anglia, and the examples
in this burial may well be imports from that region,
implying an individual with access to both East Anglian
and east Kentish material culture. The disc brooch
also found in this burial is of a very unusual type, and
no clear parallel had been identified at the time of
writing. Perhaps this brooch represents an experimental
product of the east Kentish workshop responsible for
the production of both Kentish square-headed and disc
brooches. The combination of a square-headed brooch
(which must have been manufactured after c. AD 500),
the lack of Kentish disc brooches, and the presence of
Traffic Light beads therefore suggests a date for this
burial between c. AD 500 and 530.
Disposition: To be determined.
A RICHARDSON
223. Ringlemere, Kent: six Anglo-saxon grave
assemblages (2005 T395; 2006 T390; 2005 T452;
2006 T30; 2006 T31; 2006 T32)
Found by Canterbury Archaeological Trust during
controlled excavation of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery
based around the Ringlemere Bronze Age barrow, in
October and November 2005. Much of the material
was block lifted, with excavation and assessment
continuing. Full report to come in Treasure Annual
Report 2007. British Museum hopes to acquire with
the main site archive.
S MARZINZIK
224. bridge, Kent: Four Anglo-saxon graves with
coins and associated objects (2005 T115a-d)
Date: AD 680–690
Discovery: Found by Kent Archaeological Field School
in March 2005, during controlled archaeological
excavation of an Anglo-Saxon grave group, possibly
a family group, in the fill of the ditch of a hexagonal
feature of probable Roman date.
Description: Four of the eleven graves, in each case a
female burial, contained coins in which the grouping of
the coins suggested that they had been contained in a
bag, placed at the woman’s feet along with other grave
goods, all heavily corroded.
Grave 1. 21 silver pennies, several fused: Series A (8),
Series B I (12), possible Series B II (1). Associated finds:
A copper-alloy belt buckle and possible brooch; a blue
glass bead (broken); an iron knife and 3 handles, key,
socketed spearhead; and a pottery vessel.
Grave 5. 14 silver pennies: Series A (8), Series B I (6); a
gold scutiform disc-pendant, a type typically associated
with female burials, possibly with an amuletic function
as a ‘symbolic shield’ (Meaney 1981, 159-62; Geake
1997, 38-9). Surface analysis indicated a gold content
of approximately 95%. Associated finds: An iron knife,
2 wooden-handled iron knives and a further wooden
handle, iron nails from a box, a piece of iron with
textile attached; a blue glass bead (broken) and a
complete glass palm cup.
Grave 6. 12 silver pennies: Series A (5), series B I (7).
Associated finds: a copper-alloy pin, 2 yellow beads and
various corroded metal objects and fragments.
Grave 9. 17 silver pennies: Series A (10), Series B I (7).
Associated find: a small copper-alloy strap.
Discussion: The assemblage represents a significant
addition to the corpus of known examples of Series B
pennies. A detailed study of the Series will be published
as part of the publication of the excavations.
Disposition: Canterbury Museum acquired, alongside
the main site archive.
G WILLIAMS
80 EARLY MEDIEVAL EARLY MEDIEVAL 81