File:2006 T132 Bronze Age hoard, Axe no5 (FindID 192412).jpg

English: Treasure case: 2006 T132 Bronze Age Hoard

Circumstances of Discovery

This group of artefacts was found dispersed within the ploughsoil in the same field, by three individuals using metal detectors. On 6th March 2006 two objects were found(nos. 1 and 2) and the remainder on the on 25th March 2006.

Catalogue

Weights were taken before conservation and sometimes include soil still adhering to parts of the surfaces and the insides of socketed artefacts.

1. Socketed axe, fragment. Lower blade end. Expanded cutting edge. Edge missing due to corrosion damage. Narrow, rectangular socket. Most of original surface missing, otherwise dark green even patina. Fine horizontal scratches close to blade edge. L: 47.2mm; Blade W: 42.45mm; W. at break: 30.7mm; B. at break: 12.35mm; Wt: 55g.

2. Socketed axe, fragment. Lower blade end. Expanded cutting edge. Edge missing due to corrosion damage. Narrow, rectangular socket. Dark green/brown patina. Horizontal scratches close to blade edge L: 41.1mm; Blade W: 44.2mm; W. at break: 34.35mm; B. at break: 17.6mm; Wt: 89g.

3. Socketed axe, fragment. South-Eastern Class A1. Double mouth moulding. One side and small parts of both faces. Upper mouth moulding corrosion chipped. . L: 36.7mm; B. mouth: 29.5mm; Wt: 30g.

4. Socketed axe, fragment. Small axe, narrow with rectangular socket. Blade end, small part of edge intact, otherwise corrosion chipped. Expanded cutting edge, slight blade tip hollows. At the break, one face has been pushed inwards. Occasional scratches on the lower blade. L: 34.4mm; Blade W: 37.75mm; W. at break: 28.7mm; B. at break: 15.75mm; Wt: 41g.

5. Socketed axe, South-Eastern Class B, Type Welby. Incomplete. One face is intact apart from the mouth, the other has only part of the lower blade. Three parallel ribs. Expanded cutting edge, defined blade tip hollows. There is a large chip removed from one blade tip and the blade edge is completely missing. Casting flashes intact, but slightly fettled. Pale green patina, surfaces pitted/pocked. L: 82.2mm; Blade W: 44.6mm; Wt: 156g.

6. Socketed axe, mouth and upper body fragment. South-Eastern type A1. Double mouth moulding. Small parts of one face and one side. Prominent casting flashes. Dark brown even patina. L: 37.7mm Wt: 16g

7. Sword, Ewart Park type. Blade fragment. Blade edges are missing and heavily corrosion damaged. No trace of the edge bevels survives, but there are faint longitudinal scratches on one side. Both surfaces have small hammer marks down the centre. Smooth dark green patina, all edges pale green and corroded. L: 48.4mm; W: 28.3mm Th: 6.7mm Wt: 34g.

8. Knife, fragment. Tip and upper body. L: 49.6mm; W. at break: 18.6mm Th: 3.8mm: Wt: 15g.

9. Spear, fragment. Blade tip, central part. Both wings are missing. Traces of dark brown original surface survive close to wings, otherwise surfaces missing. L: 31mm; W: 13.1mm; Wt: 7g.

10. Socketed axe, incomplete. Blade end. Cutting edge slightly expanded, edge missing through corrosion damage and one tip chipped off. Rectangular socket, thin-walled. Much of original surface missing, dark brown patina where it survives. L: 57.4mm; Blade W: 38.3mm; W. at break: 28.25mm B. at break: 22.1mm; Wt: 119g.

11. Socketed axe, fragment. Blade end. Rectangular socket, walls of variable thickness. Expanded cutting edge. Edge missing through corrosion damage. Casting flashes prominent. Considerable areas of the dark green/brown original surface are missing. At the horizontal break, one of the faces has a chunk missing and there is a hammer mark where the wall has been pushed inwards. L: 45.2mm; Blade W: 45.4mm; W. at break: 32.5mm; B. at break; 16.3mm; Wt: 93g..

12. Socketed axe, fragment. Small axe, blade end. Rectangular socket, thin-walled. Cutting edge expanded, edge missing through corrosion damage. Smooth dark brown patina with small areas of original surface missing on both faces. At the horizontal break, both faces have been pushed inwards. L: 37.2mm; Blade W: 37.3mm; W. at break: 29.2mm; B. at break: 13.9mm; Wt: 55g.

Discussion

This group of metalwork is made up of 12 objects. None of the objects are complete and many show signs of deliberate breakage for inclusion as scrap metal. The group is made up of a minimum of seven socketed axes; two of which can be positively identified as South-Eastern types (no. 3, 5, 6), six fragments representing the blade end of six separate axes (nos. 1, 2, 4, 10-12), one sword fragment of Ewart Park type (no.7), one knife fragment (no. 8) and one spear fragment (no. 9). The South-Eastern socketed axes and the sword fragment date the artefacts to the Ewart Park phase of the Late Bronze Age, dated to c.1000-800 BC on the basis of radiocarbon dates in direct association with metalwork of the phase (Needham et al. 1998, 93, 98). All the other finds are consistent with that date.

The Bradfield find consists entirely of fragmentary bronze artefacts that have been scrapped and broken up for recycling. Many hoards have been reported from East Anglia and the Home Counties; their links with industrial production have led to them being described as founders’ hoards. Like so many other Late Bronze Age hoards, axes are the most conspicuous single component among the artefacts present. The number of axe blade fragments is striking and is a reminder that some process of selection lay behind what at first sight might appear to be a random collection of scrap. Weaponry is not uncommon in these hoards and is represented at Bradfield by the sword and spear fragments. A consensus has emerged over the last twenty-five years that these Ewart Park phase hoards are caches of bronze that were buried over a relatively short period of time when iron working was introduced towards the end of the Ewart Park phase c.800 BC. The metal in these hoards was not recovered from the ground in antiquity because the demand for bronze fell when iron replaced bronze as the staple metal for weaponry and tools (Burgess 1979, 275-6; Needham 1990, 130-40; Needham et al. 1998, 93). As such, hoards like Bradfield document one of the key stages in the industrial and technological development of Britain.

Conclusion

Although it is very likely that although the objects from Bradfield were originally deposited as part of the same group, it is likely that recent agricultural activity have dispersed the artefacts. The assemblage is its entirety has the worn and abraded appearance of material that has circulated in the plough soil for some time. The finds can be classified as a ‘scatter’ containing two or more base metal Late Bronze Age objects found within the same field and as such there is a prima facie case for considering the find to be Treasure, as defined under the Treasure Order (2002).

Dr Paul R. Sealey, Assistant Curator of Archaeology, Colchester Museums & Sally Worrell, PAS Prehistoric & Roman Finds Adviser, Institute of Archaeology, University College London.

25th October 2006

Bibliography

Burgess, C.B., 1979. ‘A find from Boyton, Suffolk, and the end of the Bronze Age in Britain and Ireland’, in C.B. Burgess and D.G. Coombs (eds), Bronze Age Hoards: Some Finds Old and New (British Archaeological Reports, British Series 67) (Oxford), 269-82 Needham, S.P., 1990. The Petters Late Bronze Age Metalwork: An Analytical Study of Thames Valley Metalworking in its Settlement Context (British Museum Occasional Paper 70) (London)

Needham, S.P., Bronk Ramsay, C., Coombs, D.G., Cartwright, C. and Pettitt, P., 1998. ‘An independent chronology for British Bronze Age metalwork: the results of the Oxford radiocarbon accelerator programme’, Archaeol. J. 154 for 1997, 55-107