PENANNULAR RING

A middle Bronze Age gold pennanular ring, dating to c. 1300 BC - 1150 BC. The ring is a tri-partite composite type. The three elements are lightly C-shaped in plan and oval in cross-section and have apparently been soldered together. Each of the elements is about 3mm in width.
Height: 9.24 mm
Diameter: 14.05 mm
Weight: 11.58 g

Discussion: Two other gold tri-partite are recorded on the PAS database BUC-9754C7 (2007T118) and SUSS-63B7A6 (2012T165), both are dated to the Middle Bronze Age (1300 - 1150 BC). 
The report for 2012T165 comments: Although small, penannular rings are amongst the most common items of gold to survive from the British Bronze Age, they remain one of the most problematic classes of prehistoric artefacts as they generally lack good contexts or associations with other classes of metalwork, making them difficult to date accurately (Meeks, Craddock, & Needham 2008: 13). Their appearance in Britain most likely coincides with the beginning of the 'Ornament Horizon' (c. 1400-1100 BC), a new tradition of gold ornaments which coincides with the early Taunton to the later Penard metalwork phases for England and Wales (Roberts 2007: 7). This ring, therefore, can be generally dated to the Middle Bronze Age (c. 1400-1140 BC).

The object contains more than 10% precious metal and is over 300 years old. Consequently, it qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996 in terms of both age and precious metal content.

Reference: 
Meeks, Nigel D., Craddock, Paul T., & Needham, Stuart P., 2008. "Bronze Age Penannular Gold Rings from the British Isles: Technology and Composition". Jewellery Studies 11: 13-30.

Roberts, B., 2007. "Adorning the Living but Not the Dead: Understanding Ornaments in Britain c. 1400-1100 cal BC". Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 73: 1-32.