HOARD

Gold (terminology is Eogan's (1969) 1 Lock-ring, triangular-sectioned, made using three components of thin sheet-gold (tube and two face-plates). The ends of the tube turn outwards to form sides to the slot, and its top and bottom edges are bent outwards to grip the face-plates. The ends of the face-plates are probably bent over to slightly overlap the side-plates and hold them in position (this can be seen clearly at one of the edges, where the junction is not obscured or damaged). The face-plates are plain apart from very slight concentric corrugations. Where the face-plates meet at the outer rim, they overlap slightly to make the join. Where the gold sheet has lifted a core is visible. In fairly good condition; damaged near the slot where face- plates have lifted. One side-plate has lifted away but is probably complete; the other is still in place. A small area of the outer rim is crushed. Height of tube (=maximum thickness of object): 11.2 mm; max. internal diameter of tube (= internal diameter of object): 20 mm; maximum external diameter: 35.8 mm; weight: 7.04 g. 2 Lock-ring, closely similar to the above. One side-plate is obscured by dirt but it may be seen that the ends of the face-plates are bent in to secure the side-plate. The other side-plate has torn away but remains attached to the tube with which it is integral; there is a visible core. The face-plates have parted in one place at the rim and there are some modern scrapes on the interior surface of the tube. Height of tube: 11 mm; internal diameter of tube: 20 mm; maximum external diameter: 35.5 mm; weight: 6.87 g. 3 Lock-ring, similar to the above, except that the edges of the side-plates are bent out to grip the face-plates; the face-plates are plain, and there appears to be a binding strip at the outer edges of the face-plates; this takes the form of a round-sectioned wire closely fixed (soldered?) to the edge. Although slightly crushed and distorted there are no tears visible but it seems likely from the weight that there is no core (though there are some loose fragments rattling inside). Dirt obscures one of the face-plates. Height of tube (crushed): 9 mm; internal diameter of tube (crushed): 10.14 x 10.58 mm; external diameter: 31.5 mm (measured where least distorted): weight: 3.16 g. 4 Lock-ring fragment, about half, crushed and torn. Enough detail survives to tell that the tube ends turn out to grip the face-plate, and the face-plates are bent over to overlap the remaining side-plate. The face-plates are decorated with fine, close-set concentric ridges. The edges of the face-plates overlap slightly. Part of a core is visible. The tube is very torn and crushed, and the face-plates similarly damaged at the broken end. The remaining side-plate is slightly displaced and crumpled, but the dimensions are all fairly close to original. Height of tube: 9 mm; internal diameter of tube: 10.32 mm; maximum external diameter 31.5 mm; weight: 1.22 g. 5 Lock -ring fragment, about half, crushed and torn. The junction of the top and bottom edges of the tube and face-plates is too damaged to be able to discern the method of securing it, but the surviving side-plate does appear to be integral with the tube. The ends of the face-plates are bent over to overlap the side-plate and at the outer rim they overlap slightly. The face-plates are decorated in the same way as (4). There is a visible core. The tube is very crumpled and torn; the face-plates are crumpled in places and the surviving side-plate is slightly displaced and crushed. Maximum surviving dimensions: Height of tube: 10.02 mm; internal diameter of tube 10.4 mm; external diameter: 30.03 mm; weight: 1.35 g. 6 Lock-ring fragment, about half, crushed and with tube and side-plate absent; however enough detail remains to suggest that the ends of the face-plates had overlapped the side plates; the face-plates overlap slightly to join at the outer rim. The face-plates are decorated in the same way as (4) and (5) and there is a visible core. Maximum surviving dimensions: Height of tube: 10.04 mm; internal diameter: 10.26 mm; external diameter 30.12 mm; weight: 1.18 g.

Bronze 7 Penannular bracelet, in four joining fragments. Hoop of slightly oval section, expanding suddenly and asymmetrically outwards at the terminals. Their ends are very gently convex. Reconstructed diameter: 76.5 x 74.5 mm; breadth hoop: 6.0 - 6.8 mm; thickness hoop: 5.3 - 6.3 mm; max. diameter terminals: 9.2 mm; weight: 35.0 g 8 Penannular bracelet, in three fragments; two join but there is a missing portion before the second terminal. Hoop of oval section, expanding suddenly and asymmetrically outwards at the terminals. Their ends are slightly convex. Reconstructed diameter c. 64 mm; breadth hoop: 4.4 - 4.9 mm; thickness hoop: 3.4 - 4.4 mm; diameter terminals: 5.2 x 6.0, 5.2 x 5.7 mm; weight: 10.2 g 9 Bracelet or large ring fragments, two fragments with possible weathered join. Hoop of slightly oval section. Terminals lacking. Reconstructed diameter: 71 mm; breadth hoop: 4.8 - 5.5 mm; thickness hoop: 4.5 - 5.1 mm; weight: 17.3 g 10 Coiled rod bracelet, four fragments - two pairs having probable abraded joins between, but no join survives at the middle break. Thin rod of 'D' section, a narrow flattened face opposite a well rounded one. The terminals taper steadily to acute wedge-like ends damaged by corrosion chipping. If no significant loss at non-joining break, the terminals overlap by about a quarter circuit. Reconstructed external diameter: 70 mm; breadth terminals 3.1 mm; breadth hoop: 2.7 - 2.9 mm; maximum thickness hoop: 2.5 mm; thickness terminals 0.6 mm; weight: 9.9 g 11 Large annular ring, complete. Hoop of slightly oval section. Dimensions vary a little round circuit, potentially due to differential wear. Diameter: 8.9 - 9.2 mm; breadth hoop: 4.1 - 4.7 mm; thickness hoop: 4.5 - 5.0 mm; weight: 13.8 g 12 Large annular ring, complete, but broken in two. Hoop of slightly oval section. Dimensions vary a little round circuit, potentially due to differential wear. Diameter: 8.9 - 9.6 mm; breadth hoop: 3.9 - 4.5 mm; thickness hoop: 4.6 - 5.0 mm; weight: 11.8 g 13 Large annular ring, two fragments possibly with abraded join. The remaining ends are weathered and around one-eighth of the circuit is missing. Diameter: 8.6 mm; breadth hoop: 3.1 - 3.6 mm; thickness hoop: 3.5 - 4.0 mm; weight: 5.4 g 14 Large annular ring fragment, just under half extant. Hoop of slightly oval section. Maximum dimension: 48.5 mm; breadth hoop: 4.1 - 4.4 mm; thickness hoop: 4.5 - 4.8 mm; weight: 7.6 g 15 Large annular ring fragment, approximately one-third extant. Hoop of sub-pentagonal section, with four flattish facets around the sides and inner face, but a broad and convex outer face. Maximum dimension: 50 mm; breadth: 3.2 - 3.6 mm; thickness: 3.5 - 4.1 mm; weight: 3.8 g 16 Large annular ring fragment, approximately one-sixth extant. Rather corroded surface all round, but hints of faceted section similar to no 14. Curvature is also similar and this might belong if extra thickness is due to corrosion layer. Maximum dimension: 34 mm; breadth hoop: 3.6 - 4.0 mm; thickness: 4.0 - 4.3 mm; weight: 1.5 g 17 Pin fragment, nail-headed? The tip is lacking and the head severely reduced by corrosion leaving a strong projection on just one side, but presumed originally to have been a symmetrical disc head. The shank is sub-square in section. Length: 81 mm; maximum width head: 7.0 mm; diameter shank: 2.8 - 3.9 mm; weight: 4.1 g 18 Pin shank, in two fragments, probably joining. Head lacking. Round section shank tapering steadily towards now-lost tip. Diagonal grinding marks all round. Length: 69.3 mm; diameter shank: 2.0 - 3.8 mm; weight: 3.3 g 19 Pin shank fragment, from mid-shank. Round section, highly polished surface. Length: 27.7 mm; diameter: 3.0 - 3.2 mm; weight: 0.9 g 20 Bugle-shaped fitting. Ring-and-loop part of two-part fitting; complete but with some cracking. Sub-D-shaped ring hollow-cast with thick round to oval section. A staple-like loop with a rough sub-triangular section is appended to the flatter side. Underneath it is a long cast perforation in the ring wall, allowing the original clay core to be seen. A second, oval perforation pierces the inner wall of the ring diametrically opposite; this has a surface fill of light grey material. Length: 55.5 mm; width: 61.0 mm; breadth: 14.7 mm; breadth loop: 3.7 - 4.5 mm; weight: 73.4 g 21 Curved plate-like fragment, possible bugle-shaped fitting. Crescent-shaped piece with ragged fractures all round. Also curved in section, thus from hollow-backed or tubular object. Curvatures very similar to those on object 20. Maximum dimension: 32 mm; wall thickness: 1.2 - 1.5 mm; weight: 2.5 g 22 Socketed axe, a variant of the South-Eastern type. Wooden haft remains in the socket. Deep trumpet mouth with flat top and a slight step below the moulding. Blade slightly expanded, very shallow blade tip hollows. The blade edge is intact over a small area, but is otherwise corrosion damaged. Copper corrosion products on the lower body of one face. Well-defined casting flashes, removal attempts on the lower blade. The top of the upper mouth moulding is corrosion chipped and slightly cracked. L: 95.6 mm; W. mouth: 38.9 mm; B. mouth: 38.5 mm; W. blade: 42.7 mm; B. loop: 6.8 mm; weight: 206.6 g. 23 Socketed axe, features in common with both Type Meldreth and Type Portree; relatively slender, unfacetted body. Square socket, flat top and unusual inverted step as second moulding. Very expanded blade edge as cast. Prominent and untrimmed casting flashes. Small chip removed from cutting edge. L: 85.5 mm; W. mouth: 33.1 mm; B. mouth: 28.7 mm; W. blade: 50.4 mm; B. loop: 6.6-8.3 mm; weight: 127.0 g 24 Socketed axe, Type Portree, Variant Kalemouth. Rounded mouth with flat top. Poorly defined shallow horizontal moulding level with the top of the loop. Short internal ribs in the bottom of the socket. Expanded blade, with projecting tips as cast. Cutting edge corrosion chipped. L: 70.7 mm; W. mouth: 38.3 mm; B. mouth: 34.5 mm; W. blade: 48.1 mm; weight of 24, 25, 28 & 29 together: 470.7 g 25 Socketed axe, Type Gilespie, Variant Culloden. Bag-shaped with obtuse body angle facets. Trumpet mouth moulding. Expanded blade as cast, one blade tip missing. Untrimmed casting flashes. During casting, the two parts of the mould were misaligned creating a ledge on one side. There is a hollow, possibly from a gas bubble mid-way down this side and also copper-alloy corrosion products. Concreted to no 24 by corrosion products. Objects 28 & 29 wedged in socket. L: 81.5 mm; W. mouth: 48.3 mm; B. mouth: 40.6 mm; W. blade: 59.9 mm; B. loop: 7.2 mm; weight: see 24. 26 Socketed axe, Yorkshire type. Incomplete. Three widely spaced ribs. Biconical moulding below collar. A large area is missing from the mouth and upper blade from one side and face. At this point on the side, the metal is extremely thin and there is a casting fault in the form of an oval perforation, only part of which survives. There is also an elongated narrow oval perforation on one face. Expanded blade with slight blade tip hollows. Only a small section of the blade edge is intact and one blade tip is missing. Fine horizontal striations at the blade edge. Off-centre casting flashes and the ghost of casting flashes from a model that were not removed before moulding. Considerable copper-alloy corrosion products within the socket and on the faces, incorporating a body fragment which is almost certainly part of the chape (no. 35). Red/brown staining on one face. L: 85.2 mm; W. mouth: 42.1 mm; B. mouth: 40.8 mm; W. blade: 56.4 mm; weight: 204.1 g. 27 Socketed axe, possibly Type Everthorpe. Incomplete, lacking upper body and most of the loop. Expanded blade, developed blade tip hollows on both sides. The loop stump is low. At the break on the body there is the vestige of a possible lower mouth moulding. Crisp, rectangular-sectioned body. Blade edge corrosion damaged. Much of the original surface is missing from one face and there are closely set obtuse scars. L: 75.5 mm; W. blade: 52.9 mm; weight: 107.1 g. 28 Socketed gouge. Circular socket, deep flat collar, underlined by a neat groove. Upper edge corrosion chipped/damaged. Wedged inside axe no 25. Diam. Socket: 17 mm; weight: see 24. 29 Socketed gouge. Gouge facet not visible, but almost certainly a gouge. Casting flashes not removed at the mouth. Wedged inside axe no 25. Diam. socket: 17.2 mm; weight: see 24. 30 Socketed gouge. Circular socket. At the mouth the walls are of slightly uneven thickness. The gouge furrow is 52.4 mm long. One side of the tip is missing. The casting sprues are removed unevenly. L: 72.4; W. cutting edge: 15.6 mm; Diam. socket: 19.5 mm; weight: 55.9 g. 31 Knife (or rapier) blade fragment. Flat mid-rib with slightly hollowed edge bevels. Parts of blade edge intact on both sides, but most of the edges and tip are corrosion chipped. Areas of copper alloy corrosion products on both sides. L: 95.3 mm; W blade: 21.2 mm; Th. blade: 3.1 mm; weight: 19.5 g. 32 Bifid razor blade portion. Broad, heel-shaped blade and stump of the tang. There is both a notch and a central circular perforation in the blade. Both faces have two parallel ribs running longitudinally from the base of the blade to the notch, skirting to either side of the perforation. Edge bevel visible on one blade wing on one face only. Fine striations along the blade on both sides of each face. Areas of copper-alloy corrosion products and red/brown staining on both surfaces. L: 59.9 mm; W: 45.5 mm; Th: 1.7-2.9 mm; weight: 17.1 g. 33 Razor blade fragment. Fragment from the blade midrib. Two parallel central ribs on each face. The perforation may be present but is uncertain due to fractured edges. The shape of the blade is unknown due to extensive edge loss. Areas of red/brown staining on one surface. L: 46.5 mm; W: 22.9 mm; Th: 1.3-3.4 mm; weight: 4.8 g. 34 Spearhead blade fragment. Leaf-shaped blade, tapering midrib and eye-shaped socket section. Corrosion damage on blade edges. Hollow edge bevels 5.5mm from blade edge. Socket edge pushed in at break. L: 87.2 mm; W: 35.9 mm; Th. blade wings: 1.1-5.6 mm; weight: 40.2g. 35 Tongue chape fragment. Three joining lower body fragments including the 'button' terminal. The body is of rhombic section, but with narrow flattened sides throughout its length. The applied oval button-stud is intact. Pale grey/brown clay fabric core remnant survives in the base of the socket for about 17.5 mm from the top of the button. The body fragment attached by corrosion products to axe no. 26 is almost certainly part of this chape. One of the fragments is slightly cracked and has copper-alloy corrosion products on its internal surface. L: 63.5 mm; button: 14.6 x 11.3 mm; wall thickness: 1.1-2.0 mm; weight: 16.2 g. 36 Ingot, pear-shaped. An asymmetric pear shape in plan, one end rounded, the other more pointed. It is plano-convex in section, but much of the convex face is flat and parallel with the other. Surfaces are partly smooth and undulating, but there are hollows possibly from trapped gas bubbles on the convex (under) face and a number of craggy, dross-like protrusions from the upper, otherwise flat face. There is a significant chunk of charcoal, 10 mm across, embedded in one side and perhaps tiny chips elsewhere. Length: 157 mm; width: 83 mm; maximum thickness: 19 mm; thickness (excluding protrusions): 14.5 mm; weight: 758.1 g 37 Pottery sherds. Twenty sherds from small to medium size (excluding several small chips) are all of a similar fabric, coloration and thickness and seem likely to belong to a single vessel. Most have weathered or worn edges and only two joins were found. Two sherds have the very base of the wall, but virtually no continuation into the base itself. Another has an eroded rounded edge which may represent a simple rim; the wall below is gently convex. Wall thickness: 9 - 12 mm; weight: 325.6 g 38 ?Refractory sherd: One sherd is of a different, finer fabric, seemingly mid grey throughout, and highly eroded. The fabric is suggestive of clay mould or crucible. Maximum dimension: 38 mm; weight: 17.4 g