TREASURE ANNU AL REPORT 2005/6 - Portable Antiquities Scheme

17. Two short lengths of cable hoop from a neck-ring
composed of five thin, plaited rods; lengths: 37 &
35mm; also seven fragments of rods, two of which are
of double strands; weight: 23.6g.
18. 25 packets of twisted rod fragments from plaited or
twisted rings; lengths: 5–34mm; total weight: 29.5g.
19. Eight arm-ring fragments; lengths: 6–49mm; total
weight: 26.4g.
20. Fragment of an arm- or finger-ring of doublestranded,
twisted rod; length: 21mm; weight: 2.3g.
21–32. Unassociated copper-alloy and iron Post-
Medieval or modern objects.
33. Lead strip pierced by iron rivet, possibly a fragment
of a container, association unclear. Length: 57mm;
width: 18mm.
Note: Surface analysis conducted on nos. 1, 11 & 19.3
indicated a silver content of 95–98%. Total weight of
coins and objects: 385.9g, of which the coins represent
15.5% of the total.
Discussion: Islamic coins can normally be dated to a
particular year, but their fragmentary condition means
that this is not the case in this instance. None of these
has a fully legible date, but all are Samanid, and one
has a legible al-Shash mint signature, while another is
legibly in the name of Ahmed bin Ismail
(AH 295–301/ AD 907–13). There are clear parallels
with the Islamic component of a number of hoards
from the Danelaw, including Goldsborough and
Bossall/Flaxton (North Yorkshire), Warton (Lancashire)
and Thurcaston (Leicestershire) (Williams forthcoming
2008). All of these were deposited in the 920s. There
is a general pattern in dateable mixed hoards from
the Danelaw that there is an interval of around 10–15
years between the issue of the latest Islamic coin and
the deposition of the hoard, and this would place the
hoard in the mid-920s. This is consistent with the
rest of the coinage although, in the absence of any
identifiable coins of Athelstan, it would be rash to say
that this hoard was quite as late as Bossall/Flaxton,
deposited c. 927, but a date of c. 925 does seem
reasonable. Further confirmation of a deposition date
late in the reign of Edward comes from the fact that
none of the coins show evidence of testing by pecking.
Pecking of coins was common in the Danelaw in the
earlier part of Edward’s reign, but seems to have been
falling out of use in the 920s.
In contrast, the use of test marks on non-numismatic
material, as noted above, is common in Viking hoards.
The ingots are of typical Viking form, with parallels
in several hoards from Croydon, c. 875, through to
Bossall/Flaxton, c. 927. The dating of these, as well as
the jewellery and hack-silver, some of which shows
particular affinities with objects from the Cuerdale and
later hoards, is therefore entirely compatible with the
coins. It should be noted that this is also compatible
with the dating of the earlier hoard from the same
area, which has previously been dated to the 920s or
930s on stylistic grounds (Graham-Campbell 2001).
There are two possible interpretations of the hoards.
One is that these are two (or more) contemporary
but distinct silver hoards of differing character, one
a hoard of intact jewellery (with parallels in Ireland)
and the current find a mixed bullion/coin hoard (with
parallels in both Britain and Ireland). The alternative
is that the two finds represent a single mixed hoard,
and this combination has parallels in northern England
in Cuerdale, Goldsborough and Bossall/Flaxton. Since
the new find is the result of detailed archaeological
excavation, and contains only small fragments, it is
possible that the find does represent a single hoard,
with these smaller pieces having been missed on
previous occasions. However, fragments of more recent
metal debris were discovered with the brooches in
1989, suggesting that the sort of material represented
in the new hoard would have been discovered if it had
been there. It therefore seems more likely than not that
this is a new hoard from the same site as the 1989
hoard.
Disposition: British Museum hopes to acquire.
B AGER & G WILLIAMS
311. Derby area, Derbyshire: possible Anglo-saxon
pierced and folded gold strip (2005 T104)
pAs ID: DENo-177172
Found by Mr H Wright while metal-detecting in
September 2004; disclaimed, returned to finder.
A C EVANS
312. monkton, Kent: Anglo-saxon silver tweezers
(2005 T305) pAs ID: KENT-6AE3A5
Found by Mr D Bishop while metal-detecting in August
2005; disclaimed, returned to finder.
S MARZINZIK
313. North Norfolk area: Early medieval silver
decorative fragment (2005 T272)
pAs ID: Nms-E48Fb4
Found by Mr A Hudson while metal-detecting in May
2005; disclaimed, returned to finder.
A ROGERSON
314. unknown parish, Norfolk: Early Anglo-saxon
curved silver-gilt zoomorphic fragment, possibly
from a gusset plate or wrist clasp (2006 T532D)
pAs ID: pAs-A7A881
Retained at Harwich by HM Revenue and Customs
from a group of Dutch detectorists in September 2005;
to be determined.
E DARCH
102 EARLY MEDIEVAL EARLY MEDIEVAL 103