TORC

Torc from near Newark, Nottinghamshire (2005 T52)

Date: Iron Age

Description: An Iron Age multi twisted strand torc with decorated hollow ring shaped terminals.

Like the 'Great Torc' from Ken Hill, Snettisham and the Sedgeford Torc, this torc is made from twisted gold wire 'ropes' that were fixed to hollow ring shaped terminals decorated with raised La Tene (so-called 'Early Celtic Art') design. This torc is made from an alloy of gold and silver. The body of the torc is made from 8 'ropes' each made from (possibly) four wires. The wires in each of the 8 ropes are twisted in the same clockwise direction. The coiled wires form a cylinder that is between 15.5 to 17.25 mm in diameter at the back of the torc, and expands in diameter to 20 to 21.5 mm towards where the coiled wires are fixed to the terminals. The torc weighs 699.24 gms. The torc has an internal diameter of approximately 130mm. The two ring shaped terminals are identical in shape and design. The terminals consist of a hollow lost wax 'doughnut shape' casting with a raised decoration of La Tene style motifs similar to other torcs from Norfolk, such as the Snettisham Great Torc and the Sedgeford Torc (49 & 50 mm long, 43 and 42 mm wide, internal diameter 13-13.5mm). Viewed from the front and held in the hands, the terminals do not lay in line with one another. One terminal lies slightly behind the other and 9 mm higher than the other terminal (or lower, depending on the point of view).

The collars of both terminals, where the wire 'ropes' were cast on, are marked by a plain collar (diameter of 23.15-23.0 mm). Next to this and before the main body of the terminals begin, is a second raised collar. This is plain at the rear of the terminal, but running for approximately 180 degrees around the front side is an ornamented zone of 11 pellets, each with 3 irregular circular impressions on their tops, set against a background stippled with circular and oval impressions of a similar size to those in groups of 3 on each pellet. The front of each terminal ring is ornamented with a design of raised curving ovals, trumpets and peltas demarking a tripartite design of 'wave' shaped triangles with curved sides - the bottom of each 'triangle' being made of the open ring at the centre of the terminal. The raised ovals, trumpets and peltas fill two zones on each side of the terminal (seen with the collar to the bottom) and at the heart of each zone of raised areas is a single circle containing two raised pellets, each with 3 indentations, set against a filled background of 'basket weave'. The boundary of the decorated area around the sides and front of the terminal is highlighted by a a single line and a line of closely spaced roughly circular/oval indentations. A similar device is used to highlight inside of the main tripartite 'void' at the centre of the design when looking at the terminals head on.

On the rear of one terminal is an ancient gash or cut 5 mm long and 2 mm wide. On the front of each terminal the some of the tops of some of the raised areas of the design show considerable evidence for being worn flat. The metal of the torc has a distinctly red colouration and in small areas the metal is covered by a hard black film or deposit. The red colouration is probably caused by the high proportion of silver in the metal alloy from which the torc is made.

Non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis of the surface of the gold torc (two terminal ends and wire) indicated the following approximate metal contents - 67% gold, 32% silver, 1% copper. The black deposits on small areas of the torc are composed of silver oxides. These deposits appear to have been formed at areas of ancient wear or damage on the torc. They occur over the worn raised parts of the decoration on the terminals, over the large ancient cut on the inside of one of the terminals and over small parts of the coiled strands at the rear of the torc; the location on other torcs where there is sometimes evidence for stress fractures caused by opening and closing the torc when it was put on and taken off.

Discussion:

This is an example of a well known Iron Age object type; a multi-strand ring terminal torc with raised 'Snettisham style' decoration. Similar types of torcs have been previously found in north west Norfolk. This torc is very similar in shape, size and style of decoration to these examples, especially the Sedgeford torc.

Conclusion: This object is an example of a well known Pre-Roman Iron Age type of ornament. As such it is more than 300 years old. Analysis of the metal it is made of shows it is made of more than 10% gold or silver.

J D Hill

The British Museum

22^nd March 2005