PAS-BF4245: Treasure case 2002 T2, Bronze Age gold neckring from Moulsford, Oxfordshire

Rights Holder: The British Museum
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TORC

Unique ID: PAS-BF4245

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Published Find published

The neckring is made from a heavy, thick bar of oval cross-section, which is thickest in the middle and tapers towards both ends. The terminals are finished off as flat oval surfaces. The object appears to have had a good surface finish prior to damage and it has been left entirely plain. The original curvature of the ornament has been distorted asymmetrically so that one arm is more extended than the other. The middle of the bar bears deep >cuts= across both faces apparently having been formed by ancient chisel strikes.
Dimensions and metal content: Maximum dimension (distorted) 203mm; maximum width of bar: 16mm; maximum thickness of bar: 12.5mm; weight: 769.3g. X-ray fluorescence analysis conducted at the British Museum indicated an approximate gold content of 85 per cent.

Notes:

This is the third find of this rare type of neckring since 1999; (Treasure Annual Report 1998-99, no. 7; Treasure Annual Report 2000, no. 5); previously only two examples had been recorded from Britain. The location at Moulsford lay not far from the findspot of a complex twisted torc of Final Middle Bronze Age date (found 1960).

Subsequent actions

Current location of find: Museum of Reading
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure

Treasure details

Treasure case tracking number: 2002T2

Chronology

Broad period: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: BRONZE AGE
Period to: BRONZE AGE
Date from: 1150 BC
Date to: 800 BC

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 203 mm
Width: 16 mm
Thickness: 12.5 mm
Weight: 769.3 g

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 3rd January 2002

Personal details

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Other reference numbers

Treasure case number: 2002T2
Museum accession number: (2002/2)

Materials and construction

Primary material: Gold
Completeness: Uncertain

Spatial metadata

Region: South East (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Oxfordshire (County)
District: South Oxfordshire (District)
To be known as: Moulsford

Spatial coordinates


Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Chance find during metal detecting
Current location: Museum of Reading

References cited

No references cited so far.

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Timeline of associated dates

Audit data

Recording Institution: PAS
Created: 20 years ago
Updated: About one year ago

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