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Description: | Known as the Grange- Over- Sands hoard. The finds consist of one socketed gouge, one small round chisel, six casting fragments, one possible vessel fragment, three annular rings, one probably intrusive 'dumb bell-shaped' button, and an ingot fragment. Description1. Plain socketed and circular mouthed gouge. Slightly expanded and flat topped. The surfaces show signs of wear and at the top of the gouge there is a small V-shaped piece missing. Max length: 92.90 mm; max width at top: 19 mm; mouth diameter: 1.69; weight 67 g2. Copper alloy annular ring. Slightly flattened, corroded and grey coloured. Short and slightly protruding rectangular section from the ring (8.2 mm long). Max diameter: 28. 80 mm, Thickness: 2.75 mm; weight: 6.2g3. Copper alloy annular ring. Circular section, very smooth and shiny with a light to dark green coloured patina. Max diameter: 24.12 mm ; Thickness: 2.93mm ; Weight: 4.4g4. Copper alloy annular ring. Circular section, coarse surface and a dark green coloured patina. Max diameter 30.26 mm; Thickness: 6.66 mm; Weight: 18g5. Copper alloy ingot fragment. Circular section, coarse and dark green with light green patches. Max Length: 38.62 mm; Max width: 8.09 mm; weight: 60.1 g6. Copper alloy chisel. Rectangular section, slender form, expanding gradually to a narrow chipped blade. Small patches of corrosion and damage with a dark green to black patina with several brown patches. Max Length: 64.55 mm; Max Width: 6.23 mm; Weight: 4.6 g7. Copper alloy sheet fragment possibly from a vessel. Heavily pitted surface and damaged edges. Light to dark green patina. Max length: 29.13; Max width: 1.88 mm; Weight: 2.8 g8. Six copper alloy fragments. Light to dark green in colour, probably casting waste. Weight: 9.9 g9. Copper-alloy 'dumb-bell' button. Weight 3.5g Discussion The socketed gouge is characteristic of the Late Bronze Age - specifically the Ewart Park metalwork phase (c. 1020-800 BC) (Needham et al. 1997) and is paralleled throughout Britain (see Needham 1990: 49, fig 10).The annular rings are potentially comparable to objects found in Late Bronze Age hoards in Britain such as at Isleham, Cambridgeshire (O'Connor 1980, 366, fig 45), Horsehope, Peebleshire (Schmidt and Burgess 1981, plate 146, nos. 9-10) and Ford, Kilmartin, Argyllshire (Schmidt and Burgess 1981, plate 146, no. 6). These rings are traditionally interpreted as horse-gear and are widespread in the Ewart Park metalwork phase (O'Connor 1980, 227).The vessel fragments, ingot fragment and narrow chisel are far less diagnostic but also feature during this period (O'Connor 1980, 225-229). This leaves the 'dumb-bell' button which dates to the Late Iron Age or Roman period rather than the Late Bronze Age (see MacGregor 1976, 134, figure 8, Bushe-Fox 1914, 14, Fig 5. No. 17 and BM 1902, 0816.12 from Brough, Cumbria). It seems likely therefore that this is an intrusive object that may have ended up in association with the other objects through ploughing. However, beyond the socketed gouge, the other copper alloy objects are not highly diagnostic leaving open the possibility that the hoard may be an accumulation of material from several periods.Conclusion It is probable that these objects, barring the button, formed a single original deposit or hoard dispersed through the actions of the plough. This material is therefore eligible as Treasure under the new Treasure Order (2002) being a base-metal prehistoric find containing two or more metal objects.ReferenceBushe-Fox, J.P. 1914. Second Report on the Excavations on the Site of the Roman Town of Wroxeter, Shropshire 1913. London: Society of Antiquaries 2.MacGregor, M. 1976. Early Celtic art in North Britain. Leicester: Leicester University Press.Needham, S.P. 1990. The Petters Late Bronze Age metalwork: an analytical study of Thames Valley metalworking in its settlement context. London: British Museum Occasional Paper 70.Needham, S.P., Bronk Ramsay, C., Coombs, D., Cartwright, C., & Petitt, P. 1997. An independent chronology for British Bronze Age metalwork: the results of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Programme. Archaeology Journal 154, 55-107O' Connor, B. 1980. Cross- Channel Relations in the Later Bronze Age: Relations between Britain, North- Eastern France and the Low Countries during the Later Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age, with particular reference to the metalwork. Oxford: BAR International series S91.Schmidt, P. & Burgess C.1981. The Axes of Scotland and Northern England. Praehistorische Bronzefunde IX, 7.Munich: Beck. Emily Gough (Volunteer)Ben Roberts Curator of European Bronze AgeJody Joy Curator of European Iron Age
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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