Rights Holder: The British Museum
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Unique ID: NMS-1FE356
Object type certainty: Certain
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status: Published
The find comprises seven gold penannular bracelets. Five of these have a C-shaped cross section and flat, outwardly-projecting terminals; one has a thicker body which is internally concave and solider, outwardly-expanding terminals. The seventh has a plain, flat body with solid, evenly-expanded terminals.
Maximum external diameters range between 57 and 67.5mm; the maximum breadth of the C-sectioned bracelets is 10.5mm and the thickness is 0.5mm at the edges. The second variety has a narrower body at 9mm and is thicker at 1.5mm; the third variety has a maximum breadth of 8mm and a thickness of 1mm.
All are slightly distorted and have a patchy, sooty discolouration probably resulting from the conditions of burial.
Four of the bracelets were found 'in a clump' 18-24 ins. deep and the others singly only 18 ins. away and at approximately the same depth; there can be no doubt of their association as a hoard.
Identification
All three types are well known in the British Late Bronze Age, c 1000-800BC. They find their best analogues in (respectively) Eogan's Variety 3/Needham C*; Eogan Variety 4/Needham C; Eogan Variety 1/Needham B1. Other gold bracelet hoards in which one or more of the types are represented include the two Bexley (Kent) hoards and those from Tisbury, Wiltshire; Morvah, Cornwall; Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk.
References:
Eogan, G. 1994. The Accomplished Art: gold and gold-working in Britain and Ireland during the Bronze Age (c. 2300-650BC). Oxbow Monograph 42.
Hook, D. R. and Needham, S. P. 1989. 'A comparison of recent analyses of British Late Bronze Age goldwork with Irish parallels'. Jewellery Studies vol. 3, pp 15-25.
Notes:
Surface analysis indicated gold contents of 83-86% for bracelet nos. 1, 4, 5 & 7, 81% for no. 2, 92-94% for no.3 and 77-79% for no. 6.
TVC recommended valuation: £35,000
Current location of find: Norwich Castle Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2005T347
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: BRONZE AGE
Date from: Exactly 1000 BC
Date to: Circa 700 BC
Quantity: 7
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 11th September 2005
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Treasure case number: 2005T347
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eogan, G. | 1994 | The Accomplished Art: Gold and Gold-Working in Britain and Ireland during the Bronze Age | Oxford | Oxbow Books | Monograph 42 | ||
Hook, D.R. and Needham, S. | 1989 | A Comparison of Recent Analysis of British Late Bronze Age Goldwork with Irish Parallels | 15-25 |