Rights Holder: St. Albans District Council
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Unique ID: BH-149F18
Object type certainty: Possibly
Workflow
status: Published
Description: A short length of a gold twisted torc with four flanges arranged as a cruciform. Both ends have been cut and the flanges are therefore distorted at either end. There is also damage to one side of the fragment where it has also been flattened. The fragment has a slightly curved form.
Dimensions: Length: 13.5mm; Thickness: 7mm; Weight: 3g
Metal composition: Non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis of the surface of was undertaken by the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research and indicated a surface composition of approximately: 80-82% gold, 14-16% silver with approximately 3-5% copper.
Discussion: The fragment can be dated typologically to the Taunton metalwork phase (c.1400-1250 BC), more probably the Penard metalwork phase (c.1300-1150 BC), of the British Middle Bronze Age. The composition of the gold is consistent with other known finds (including those from closed associations with contemporary objects) of this date.
Gold working in Britain at this time is dominated by the casting of bars and ribbons and techniques as twisting and flange twisting comparable to this find (see Murgia et al. 2014). Similar torc fragment have been recorded as Treasure on the Isle of Wight (2011 T501) and at Langtham, Essex (2014 T698), while two complete flange-twisted torc were found as part of the Crow Down hoard (2004 T348; see Varndell et al. 2007) and one was part of the Wrexham hoard (2004 W2). Other similar (complete) torcs are known from Hampshire: from Christchurch, Blackwater (Taylor 1980, Ha 2; Eogan 1967 n. 41) and from Ropley (Taylor 1980, Ha 6; Eogan 1967 n.43).
Gold flanged twisted torcs finds are concentrated in East Anglia, southwest and southeast England with around eight torcs having been found in each region. They are present in smaller numbers in Wales and into northern and central Britain (Roberts 2007).
Bibliography
Eogan, G. 1967. The associated finds of gold bar torcs. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 98 (2), 129-75.
Murgia, A., Melkonian, M. & Roberts, B.W. 2014, European Bronze Age Gold in the British Museum. London: Online Research Catalogue.
Roberts, B.W. 2007. Adorning the Living but Not the Dead: Understanding Ornaments in Britain c. 1400-1100 cal BC. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 73, p.135-167.
Taylor, J.J. 1980. Bronze Age Goldwork of the British Isles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Varndell, G., Coe, D., Hey, G., & Canti, M. 2007. 'The crow down hoard, Lambourn, West Berkshire', Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 26(3), 215-329
Notes:
Conclusion: As a find of precious metal of prehistoric date, this objects qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act (1996) (Designation Order 2002).
Current location of find: Hampshire Museum Service
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2014T25
Broad period: UNKNOWN
Period from: BRONZE AGE
Period to: BRONZE AGE
Quantity: 1
Length: 12.43 mm
Width: 6.68 mm
Weight: 3.01 g
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 27th October 2013
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Treasure case number: 2014T25
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.