HOARD

Overview

31 lead discs, 29 of which were discovered in context in three groups (hereafter Group A, B, and C). The weights appear to have been placed into the side of a ditch. Group A comprised 10 lead discs; Group B comprised 5 discs and Group C comprised 9 lead discs. Four further lead weights were discovered scattered in the plough soil in the immediate area of the stratified finds; three more were discovered in the area by another detectorist who also has permission to search the site. Owing to the small scale of the excavation it was not clear in what wider context the finds were deposited, but they appear to have been placed into a ditch. A body sherd of Anglo-Saxon sandstone tempered pottery was discovered 'sandwiched' between two weights, providing a date between the 5th and 7th centuries. This date is consistent with other similar finds from Anglo-Saxon contexts in London and at Mucking.

The weights

Each disc is a flat circle with a circular hole in the centre. Two clear types are discernable within the assemblage, hereafter called Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 has a shallow plano-convex profile to it and is likely to have formed an end cap to a set of weights. Type 2 is flat on both sides and frequently demonstrates a coarse surface, perhaps decoration. This type appears to have formed the body discs to a set of weights. The discs were discovered as follows:

Group A. Type 1: 8; Type 2: 2

Group B. Type 1: 5; Type 2: 0

Group C. Type 1: 2; Type 2: 7

Loose. Type 1: 4; Type 2: 3

Notes on the mass of the weights

The mass of the weights show a clear division between the two types noted. The 'cap' ends are all roughly 100g lighter than the body discs, however both of the types showed variations up to 80g. The fluxuations in mass might in part be accounted for by the various degrees of wear and oxidation of the lead discs.

The masses are as follows:

Mean: Type 1: 289.63g; Type 2: 406.54g;

Median: Type 1: 294.50g; Type 2: 402.50g

The discovery and excavation

The discs were initially discovered by a metal detecorist who had dug into context to discover the source of the signal. Upon seeing the discs the finder alerted the Finds Liaison Officer for Lincolnshire who excavated the find.

A trench measuring 1.5 meters by 1 meter was placed over the area centred on Group A and B. The topsoil was shovelled off and scanned with a metal detector. No further lead weights were discovered in the topsoil. Once the topsoil was removed and the trench was cleaned back, the two holes dug by the finder for the recovery of Groups A and B were visible. No original features were visible owing both to the small scale of the excavation, but the section of the excavation indicated that the weights were deposited on the slope of a ditch cut into the natural bedrock.

The ditch fill was a mid-brown mixed sandy deposit with frequent small to medium sized fragments of limestone. The ditch was cut into cornbrash comprising large fragments of limestone set into a sandy matrix. The ditch appeared to slope away from northeast to southwest. Three ceramic sherds were discovered in the ditch fill. A thick body sherd of Roman greyware was found half way down the fill, and a single rim sherd of samian ware was discovered at the very bottom of the centre of the ditch. The final sherd was Anglo-Saxon sandstone tempered pottery and dates to the 5^th- 7^th centuries AD (Jane Young pers com), which was found sandwiched between two of the lead weights.

Excavation data

Context Type Description
(001) Layer Topsoil - dark brown/grey silt-sand.

(002) Ditch fill Mid brown sand, occasional small to medium sized abraded limestone.

[003] Ditch cut E - W ditch or pit cut into the natural (004). Contains fill (002).

(004) Layer Natural limestone bedrock.

FIND CONTEXT DESCRIPTION DATE

/1\ (002) Rim sherd of samian ware C1st- mid 3rd AD

/2\ (002) Body sherd of greyware Roman

/3\ (002) Small body sherd sandstone tempered ware C5th-7th AD
/4\ (002) Large body sherd sandstone tempered ware C5th-7th AD