Rights Holder: Norfolk County Council
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BEAD
Unique ID: NMS-AEC678
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
Biconical gold bead: sheet bead of biconical profile and annular form, probably cast. The wall is of constant thickness and slightly rough inner face. No join is visible to the naked eye. Weight: 0.74g; Diameter: 10.5mm; Internal diameter: 5mm; Width: 6.5mm
Notes:
The gold bead is likely to date to the Middle Bronze Age (c.1500-1100 BC) based on several close comparanda. The three biconical gold beads from the Burton, Wrexham, hoard are similar in form, size and weight to the Salthouse bead (PAS-5B1745; Gwilt et al. in Barton 2011). The Burton hoard comprised of several typo-chronologically distinctive artefacts (including bronze palstaves) that allow it to be dated to c.1300-1150 BC (Ibid.). The bead is also similar to those from Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire and Harlow, Essex, the former from a stratified Middle Bronze Age context (Varndell 2000, 12, no.1; 2005/6, 17, 270, no.6), and Buriton, Hampshire (HAMP-72E451).
Middle Bronze Age gold beads are a relatively rare find (Murgia et al. forthcoming) and can be contextualised with reference to the so-called 'ornament horizon(s)', which see a proliferation of bronze and gold ornaments in Southern England and Britain (respectively) during the period c.1400-1100 BC (Smith 1959; Roberts 2007).
The age and precious metal content of this item qualify it as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996.
Subsequent actions
Current location of find: Norfolk Museum and Archaeology Service
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure details
Treasure case tracking number: 2013T20
Chronology
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: BRONZE AGE
Subperiod to: Middle
Period to: BRONZE AGE
Date from: Circa 1300 BC
Date to: Circa 1150 BC
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 6.5 mm
Weight: 0.74 g
Diameter: 10.5 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 12th December 2012 - Wednesday 12th December 2012
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
SMR reference number: 44081
Other reference: AMD122012
Treasure case number: 2013T20
Museum accession number: NWHCM : 2013.284
Materials and construction
Primary material: Gold
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Spatial metadata
Region: Eastern (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Norfolk (County)
District: North Norfolk (District)
Parish or ward: Salthouse (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: TG0843
Four figure Latitude: 52.944057
Four figure longitude: 1.094245
1:25K map: TG0843
1:10K map: TG04SE
Grid reference source: Centred on field
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Museum | 2008 | Treasure Annual Report 2005-2006 | London | DCMS | 17, 270, no.6 | ||
| DCMS | 2000 | Treasure Annual Report 2000 | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 12, no.1 | |||
| Murgia, A., Melkonian, M. and Roberts, B.W. | 2014 | European Bronze Age Gold in the British Museum | London | The Trustees of the British Museum | |||
| Roberts, B. | 2007 | Adorning the Living but Not the Dead: Understanding Ornaments in Britain c.1400-1100 cal BC | Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society | ||||
| Smith, M.A. | 1959 | Some Somerset Hoards and their place in the Bronze Age of southern Britain: Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society | University College L | Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society |
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