Record ID: SF-6E1AB2
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Description: A complete gold sheet metal biconical bead with gold wire filigree decoration of early medieval (early Anglo-Saxon) date. The two sections of the bead are each made from sheet metal rolled into truncated cones leaving a hole in the centre of their apex. One of these holes is encircled by applied beaded wire, but this is missing on the other. The two sections are joined together at their bases, the join then covered by two strips of beaded wire encircling this point. The outer face of each section is decorated with strips of beaded wire bent into three elongated triangles p…
Created on: Friday 31st March 2023
Last updated: Thursday 9th November 2023
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Drinkstone', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: ESS-E72093
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Essex
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A complete gold bead of probable early medieval date (c. 600-700). Description: The bead is lentoid and has a circular aperture running through its centre, length-wise. There are some small cracks to the surface. Measurements: length: 9.64mm; diameter: 7mm; weight: 1.09g Discussion: Biconincal beads are known from high status Anglo-Saxon burial contexts and acted as 'spacer' beads in necklaces. These are constructed from coiled wire however, with one example recorded on the database being constructed in this way and then polished mostly smooth (WMID-033CC…
Created on: Tuesday 18th October 2022
Last updated: Wednesday 20th March 2024
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Little Bromley', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: BM-8C8705
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Published
Description: Gold ‘bead’ or pendant loop fragment decorated with filigree wire. The fragment shows no sign of wear and no sign of solder and may be one end of a biconical bead or pendant. It is made of sheet gold and decorated with seven horizontal panels separated by two strands of wire, z- and s- twisted to form a tight herringbone pattern. Each panel is filled with beaded filigree wire scrolls panels soldered to the gold sheet so that they just touch each other. The surviving end is edged with a collar of plain wire.
Created on: Wednesday 9th March 2022
Last updated: Wednesday 25th May 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: BERK-5FD5D1
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An Early Medieval gold spacer bead. The bead is complete and biconical in form. There is a hole running the complete length of the bead through the centre along the long axis.
Created on: Saturday 18th September 2021
Last updated: Monday 10th April 2023
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Itchen Valley CP', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: WILT-0D9491
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Wiltshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A complete but crushed Early Medieval gold bead dating to c. AD 600-700. The find is made from a sheet of gold formed into an almond shape. It is hollow, with a simple longitudinal butt joint. The ends of the bead are constricted. Although it has been crushed, part of the surface bears marks which may have been decorative. Small longitudinal lines can be seen with possibly repousse motifs.  Dimensions: Length: 12.9mm; width: 8.3mm; thickness: 3.6mm; weight: 0.57g Discussion: The find would fit into Hines and Bayliss Type BE3-b ‘Almond-shaped, biconical …
Created on: Thursday 2nd September 2021
Last updated: Tuesday 18th July 2023
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Marlborough', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: HAMP-269257
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Published
A spherical gold bead, 7.8mm in diameter and 6.9mm in thickness along the axis of the small central hole, which is 2mm in diameter. The bead weighs 0.95g suggesting it is probably hollow as a solid bead of this size, made of gold, would weigh around three times as much. The surface is undecorated; however there are a few indentations, most likely from post depositional damage.
Created on: Tuesday 11th August 2020
Last updated: Tuesday 8th March 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SF-0DE9BF
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Description: A complete gold biconical coiled wire bead. It is hollow, and made from a single length of coiled beaded gold wire. Date: 7th century Dimensions: Length: 14.44mm, thickness: 7.40mm, weight: 2.47g Discussion: Biconical gold wire beads date to the second half of the 7th century (Geake 1997, 43). Other examples on the PAS database include one from Hoxne, Suffolk (SF-40CB01; 2009T344), Rowington, Warwickshire (PAS-2B1E44; 2002 T95); North Down, Kent (KENT-7009B3; 2003T207; Treasure Annual Report 2003, no.94, p.72, fig.94.2, p.214); Burmington, Warwickshire (PAS-C…
Created on: Wednesday 10th June 2020
Last updated: Thursday 9th November 2023
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Near Woodbridge', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: WMID-033CC3
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Warwickshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Description: A complete biconical gold bead. The object has a central aperture running along the longest axis. There are several circumferential lines along the body of the bead, suggestive of its manufacture out of wire and since worn smooth, rather than made through wear. Dimensions: 15.2mm in length, 6.99mm in diameter and 2g in weight. Discussion: A number of biconical gold beads have been recorded on the PAS database, the majority of which have been constructed out of coils of beaded or unbeaded gold wire. Such examples include unbeaded gold wire beads from Cumnor in Oxfordshire…
Created on: Wednesday 24th April 2019
Last updated: Monday 10th April 2023
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Frankton', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: BERK-71D8C4
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Oxfordshire
Workflow stage: Published
A complete biconical gold spacer bead from an early medieval necklace, made from beaded a single coiled length of beaded wire, the ends tapering to a small hole for threading. The bead retains soil.
Created on: Tuesday 23rd January 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 3rd January 2023
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Cumnor', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: ESS-01B025
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Essex
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A biconical gold bead, made from coiled gold wire. Its surface shows signs of wear in places. The hole is packed with soil.
Created on: Thursday 30th November 2017
Last updated: Monday 10th April 2023
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'St. Lawrence', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: WAW-FF2E4D
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Warwickshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete bead, which originally was probably a biconical shape. The bead is made from rolled sheet metal which has transverse ribs on the exterior with a wider, undecorated central strip. The interior of the bead is undecorated. A portion of the bead is missing, running the length of the bead. The broken edges look to have occurred recently.
Created on: Monday 21st March 2016
Last updated: Monday 4th September 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: BM-2B4248
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Wiltshire
Workflow stage: Published
An Anglo-Saxon, biconical bead made from wire mesh. This appears to be attached to two gold loops, which frame the aperture through which, for instance, the thread of a necklace may have been fed. It is difficult to discern the exact construction of the object, as the wire is stuck to soil, which appears to fill the bead. Microscopic investigation showed, however, that the bead may have been composed of two layers: an inner, sheet gold layer and the outer wire mesh applied over it. The inner, sheet gold layer is only visible in one place and it is therefore impossible to say whethe…
Created on: Tuesday 30th December 2014
Last updated: Monday 4th September 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: LIN-C18EE6
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Published
Description: An annular gold bead, probably from a necklace. It is circular with a wide perforation. The body is convex and formed by a series of facets presumably cut by a knife. The top and bottom also contain some facets, and the bead has an overall rough appearance. The whole object appears to be unfinished, lacking in any smoothing of the surfaces. Dimensions: External diameter: 11mm, internal diameter: 6mm. Width 6mm. Weight 4.51g. Analysis: Non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis of the surface indicated a surface composition of approximately 80-83% gold and 12-13% si…
Created on: Tuesday 7th January 2014
Last updated: Tuesday 14th October 2014
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Reepham', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NMS-6F95B0
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Published
Description: Early Anglo-Saxon biconical gold bead made from a single spiral of plain unbeaded wire which measures c. 0.4-0.5mm in diameter. The wire is the only component of the the bead - there is no internal backplate - and the bead appears to have been heated, perhaps in the presence of solder, to slightly fuse the turns of the spiral. There are about 12 turns to either half of the bead, and it may have been made from a separate strand for each half, the wires being joined in the centre. The bead is slightly asymmetric, the angle at the centre being more acute on one side than …
Created on: Friday 4th January 2013
Last updated: Monday 14th April 2014
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Witton', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PAS-CF6701
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Warwickshire
Workflow stage: Published
Description: A gold biconical bead from a necklace, made from a single coiled length of plain unbeaded wire. Both ends of the wire appear original; one is neatly tapered and the other has a blunter end. The coils are soldered together, but there does not appear to be an internal backplate to which the wire is soldered, as there are occasional cracks through which the solid soil infilling can be seen. The bead is slightly flattened lengthways and there is an indentation on one side. Dimensions: It measures 12mm in length and 5mm at its widest, and weighs 1.9g. Discussion: This…
Created on: Tuesday 28th February 2012
Last updated: Wednesday 16th April 2014
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Burmington', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: BH-DCDB53
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Hertfordshire
Workflow stage: Published
A squashed and torn gold fragment, presumably formerly a biconical necklace bead. The scale-like appearance of the surface was produced by nicking the surface with a fine, sharp tool and lifting it up minutely. The back of the fragment is plain and there is damage in form of a small hole near the narrower, lipped end. Examples of such beads are now more numerous due to recent metal-detector finds, for instance from Rowington, Warks. (TAR 2001/74; PAS-2B1E44) or from Ogbourne St Andrew , Wilts. (TAR 2005-6/275); also see SF-40CB01 and KENT-7009B3. Non-destructive X-ray fluorescence…
Created on: Tuesday 20th October 2009
Last updated: Wednesday 27th July 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Stanstead Abbots', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: LEIC-1768B3
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Leicestershire
Workflow stage: Published
Early Medieval gold flattened bead or suspension loop from a pendant. The object consists of an incomplete sub rectangular gold sheet with applied wire decoration. An outside border is made from two twisted unbeaded wires and there is a pair of similar two-ply twisted wires arranged to form a plait-like motif across what may originally have been the centre of the bead or loop. Either side of the possible central plait are two joined spirals forming an S shape, again made of unbeaded applied gold wire; and to one side of one of the S-shapes is the possible traces of a further two-ply t…
Created on: Tuesday 11th August 2009
Last updated: Thursday 30th March 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'nr Melton', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF-40DD14
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Description: A complete gold bead, probably from a necklace. This bead is squat and biconical in shape, gently tapering to the ends of the large circular perforation. Dimensions: 7.85mm in diameter at its widest point, 5.76mm in length and 1.99g in weight. The perforation is 4.96mm in diameter. Discussion: Although no close parallel for this bead could be found, a case can be made for it being Anglo-Saxon and 7th-century in date. Silver and gold beads were in use at this time, and could be made in a variety of forms from sheet metal to coiled wire. Precious-metal beads are rare in o…
Created on: Wednesday 20th May 2009
Last updated: Monday 13th October 2014
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'MID SUFFOLK', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF-40CB01
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
A complete biconical gold bead from a 7th-century necklace. It is hollow, and made from a single length of coiled unbeaded gold wire with separate lengths of beaded wire wrapped around the terminals. A separate short length of beaded wire is also attached vertically to the centre of the front of the bead; this may originally have continued all around the centre of the bead. Biconical gold wire beads date to the second half of the 7th century (Geake 1997, 43). Other examples on the PAS database include one from Rowington, Warwickshire (PAS-2B1E44; 2002T95); one from North Down, Kent …
Created on: Wednesday 20th May 2009
Last updated: Wednesday 5th June 2013
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'MID SUFFOLK', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: KENT-7009B3
Object type: BEAD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Kent
Workflow stage: Published
Biconical spacer bead, made from a single coiled length of beaded wire. The surface of the bead is somewhat worn. This bead would have formed a spacer between pendants on a necklace of mid-7th century date. X-ray fluorescence analysis at the British Museum gave an approximate composition of 50% gold, 47% silver.
Created on: Monday 21st June 2004
Last updated: Wednesday 8th June 2022
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'North Downs', grid reference and parish protected.