Object: Hoard (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-1000 to -701)
Material: Copper alloy Gold
Found: Barton Turf, North Norfolk, Norfolk (Eastern)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Weight: 2289.5 g
Description: Dispersed late Bronze Age hoard of copper-alloy objects, consisting of:



1. Socketed axehead. Slightly miscast sub-rectangular mouth with a prominent moulding above a shallow moulding, D-sectioned side loop, rectangular-sectioned body flaring slightly to the curved cutting edge which has slight but probably not very ancient damage. Cast decoration in the form of six vertical lines terminating in pellets on each face. Casting seam more prominent on the loop and near the mount. Fragments of organic material, probably wood, survive in the socket. Length 116mm. Mouth 40 x 41mm. Cutting edge 47mm. Weight 306g.



2. Socketed axehead. Miscast rectangular mouth with prominent upper and shallow lower moulding, oval-sectioned side loop, the hexagonal-sectioned body almost straight sided before expanding suddenly to form the crescentic cutting edge which has corroded damage. The casting seam is prominent on each side, and narrow well defined ribs define the edge of either face. Length 97mm. Mouth 39 x 36mm. Cutting edge 54mm. Weight 229g.



3. Socketed axehead. Sub-rectangular mouth with prominent upper and narrower lower moulding, shallow D-sectioned loop, the rectangular-sectioned body flaring to form the curved cutting edge which is damaged and corroded. Linear wing ornament with a central pellet on each face. Part of the mouth is missing, the breaks ancient and corroded. Parts of the surface have a smooth black patina. Length 92mm. Mouth 40 x 38mm. Cutting edge 49mm. Weight 248g.



4. Socketed axehead. Sub-rectangular mouth with prominent upper and narrower lower moulding, shallow D-sectioned loop, the rectangular-sectioned body straight sided before flaring to form the curved cutting edge. Prominent casting seam on each side. Spotty corrosion overall, especially around the slightly damaged blade, with parts of the surface patinated to a smooth black. There is wood preserved inside the socket. Length 92mm. Mouth 37 x 40mm. Cutting edge at least 47mm. Weight 254g.



5. Socketed axehead. Sub-rectangular mouth with prominent upper and very shallow lower moulding, oval-sectioned loop, the rectangular body flaring to form the curved cutting edge which is only slightly damaged. Prominent casting seam on both sides. Fragment of probable axehead (no. 6) in socket. Length 80mm. Mouth 33 x 35mm. Cutting edge 38mm. Combined weight of no.5 and no.6 158.2g.



6. Fragment, probably of the mouth and loop of a socketed axehead, jammed into the socket of no.5.



7. Lower part of a socketed axehead. Mouth and loop missing, rectangular-sectioned body with casting seams on either side, flaring for the curved and corroded cutting edge. Surviving length 59mm. Cutting edge 50mm. Weight 141.5g.



8. Fragment of miscast or incomplete casting of a socketed axehead. Rectangular-sectioned, the upper edge irregular but smooth and unbroken with only the very end of the socket, expanding slightly towards the unfinished blade, with prominent casting seams on either side and along the edge of the blade. Length 39mm. Cutting edge 38mm. Weight 80.9g.



9. Fragment of palstave axehead. Rectangular-sectioned, blunt butt end only, with a crisp and uncorroded transverse break shortly after the start of the side flanges. Measuring at least length 50 x width 26 x thickness at break 22mm. Weight 108.0g.



10. Socketed axehead. Rectangular-sectioned mouth with prominent upper and shallow lower moulding, oval-sectioned loop, well defined casting seams on either side. The surviving part of the body is straight sided, with the mouth and most of the body on one side missing, with multiple hammer marks on both faces before a transverse break. The lower part of the axe is missing. Breaks ancient and corroded. Surviving measurements length 50mm. Mouth 38 x at least 25mm. Jammed into the socket and protruding from both ends is a socketed chisel (no.11).



11. Socketed chisel jammed into the socket of axehead no.10. Circular-sectioned socket with very slightly flared mouth, becoming rectangular-sectioned below the socket and tapering slightly before an ancient transverse break across the tip. Diameter of mouth 20mm, internal diameter 14mm. Surviving length 103mm. Combined weight of no.10 and no.11 148.8g.



12. Socketed knife. Oval, waisted socket broken across two opposed holes, elliptical-sectioned blade with bevelled edges narrowing immediately after the socket, then straight sided before tapering to a corroded and broken tip. The socket is incomplete and now in two joining pieces. Socket at mouth 24 x 15mm. Length of socket 45mm. Length of blade 114mm. Weight 69.4g.



13. Fragment of sword blade. Broken at both ends, slightly wider at one end than the other, elliptical-section with bevelled edges. Slightly bent. Breaks ancient. Surviving length 37mm. maximum surviving width 35mm. Weight 33.4g.



14. Fragment of sword blade. Broken at both ends, parallel sided, elliptical-section with bevelled edges. Slightly bent. Breaks ancient. Surviving length 88mm. Width 37mm. Weight 107.0g. Possibly no.13 and no.14 are non-joining fragments of the same object.



15. Socketed spear head. Bevelled, leaf-shaped blade, very slight damage to the tip, two opposed holes in the circular socket. There is a large fragment of wood preserved in the socket. Length 104mm. Diameter of socket 24mm. Maximum width of blade 28mm. Length of blade 76mm. Weight 72.8g.



16. Socketed spear head. Bevelled, leaf-shaped blade with most of the edge damaged, two opposed holes in the circular socket. One face is corroded powdery green with a casting flaw or break leaving a corroded hole in the lower part of the socket, the other face almost unpatinated with a dull brassy coloured surface. Length 85mm. Diameter of socket 22mm. Maximum width of blade 26mm. Length of blade 64mm. Weight 46.6g.



17. Socketed spear head. Bevelled, leaf-shaped blade with ogival outline, the socket squashed and partially missing with one surviving hole, slight damage to the tip. The breaks are ancient and the damage to the socket could be deliberate. Length 154mm. Diameter of socket at least 26mm. Maximum width of blade 34mm. Length of blade 112mm. Weight 96.9g.



18. Socketed spear head. Leaf-shaped blade, the bevelled edges almost completely missing, irregular transverse break across socket at upper end of blade. Surviving length 74mm. Surviving width 27mm. Weight 28.4g.



19. Socketed spearhead, incomplete and in two joining parts. Leaf-shaped bevelled blade with ogival outline, irregular transverse break across the upper part of the blade, half the upper blade and socket missing, one hole in the surviving part of the socket. The mouth is decorated externally with a four ribbed moulding around the mouth and two triple ribbed mouldings below. The breaks are not very recent but appear granular and fairly crisp. Length 130mm. Original diameter of socket circa 25mm. Maximum width of blade (reconstructed) 33mm. Weight 49.7g.



20. Fragment of socketed spear head, probably leaf-shaped bevelled blade, now broken at both ends, the socket squashed on one side, the breaks ancient. Surviving length 53mm. Surviving width 41.5mm. Inserted into the broken socket is no.21.



21. Fragment of socketed axehead inserted into the socket of no.20. Prominent moulding at the mouth, broken at the lower edge. Combined weight of no.20 and no.21 50.2g.



22. Fragment, probably from the socket of a socketed spear head. Part of the edge of the mouth survives, all other edges broken, with cut marks and possible hammer marks on the outer face. Broken across one hole. Surviving length 56mm. Weight 15.9g.



23. Fragment of socket of spearhead or knife. Part of the original edge at the mouth and one surviving hole, the other edges broken and corroded. Surviving length 30mm. Weight 7.2g.



24. Fragment with no original edge and very shallow elliptical section. Possibly part of a blade. Measuring at least 24 x 21mm. Weight 3.2g .



25. Distorted fragment with no certain original edge, broken across two holes. Thickening from one end to the other. Measuring at least 20 x 22mm. Maximum thickness 3mm. Weight 3.2g.



26. Flat-sectioned fragment with no original edge, possibly broken across a circular hole. Measuring 19 x 19mm, less than 1mm thick. Weight 1.4g.



27. Ring. Undecorated, very worn in places, the section varies from D-shaped to oval. External diameter 37.5mm. Internal diameter 27mm. Width 5mm. Weight 16.2g.



28. Fragment of cast cylindrical staple or handle lug from a vessel. No original edge, curved, with seven surviving ribs on the outer face and a short plain section before the break. Traces of possible solder survive on the inner face. Measuring at least 42 x 26mm. Weight 12.0g.



29. Pole cap. Disc with a large central pellet surrounded by 9 concentric grooves on the upper face, with a rounded rib forming a lip around the upper edge. The integral flat-sectioned sides are at right-angles to the disc forming a recess on the reverse. External diameter 35mm. Internal diameter 31mm. Height at edge 6mm. Depth of recess 5mm. Weight 11.6g.



Discussion: The hoard contains a mixture of deliberately broken and miscast objects, as well as some apparently undamaged in antiquity. Two similar objects to no.29 were recovered as part of a Late Bronze Age hoard in Norfolk (nos. 17 and 18 from HER 36176). The total weight of these 29 objects is 2289.5g.



Addendum 3rd October 2016:



Seven additional objects were discovered by the same finder between 10/08/2016 and 14/09/2016. They are as follows:



30. “Bugle-shaped” object. Probable strap or harness fitting. Hollow tubular body with expanded terminals at either end. There is a narrow elongated slot on one side of the body. 21.1mm long and 5.5mm wide on one side of the body. On the opposite side of the body is a side loop, oval in section. There is a shallow groove on the body surrounding the loop. The surface has a silvery patina indicative of a high tin content. Length: 60.6mm; diameter: 11.6mm; weight: 25.8g.



31. Fragment of miscast object, possibly a palstave or chisel. Rectangular-sectioned with an old break at one end. The other end, possibly the blade end is expanded and possibly miscast. Deep cut mark across the blade end on one face and across the butt end on the other face. Length: 35.1mm; width: 28.4mm; thickness: 9.6mm, weight: 44.6g.



32. Fragment of flat-sectioned object, with on slightly curved edge. Possibly a fragment of a socketed axehead. 32.5x30.6mm. Thickness: 2.6mm. Weight: 14.5g.



33. Fragment of a sword, rapier or dirk blade. Ancient break at either end. Lenticular-sectioned with bevelled edges. Length: 15.2mm; width: 29.6mm; thickness: 6.3mm; weight: 12.6g.



34. Casting waste. D-shaped. Slightly dished, with the remains of the sprue projecting from one side. One face is relatively smooth, the other is pitted. 62mmx44mm. Thickness: 8.2mm. Weight: [does not appear to have been recorded]



35. Casting waste. Irregularly shaped. Slightly dished. One face is relatively smooth, the other is pitted. 54.9mmx34.6mm. Thickness: 10.6mm. Weight: 54.4g.



36. Penannular ring. Crushed and distorted gold lock-ring. Triangular in section and formed from three strips of sheet gold. One of the strips is undecorated. The other two faces are composed of a series of twisted gold wires fused, or possibly soldered together. Length: 36.1mm; width: 11.4mm; thickness: 4.5mm; weight: 2.7g.



Discussion: A similar object to no. 30 was recovered as part of the Late Bronze Age Eaton Hoard.
Notes: Update: a further socketed axehead was recovered from the same area in January 2018 and reported as 2018T593 (NMS-D74E8B). This was joined by seven further fragments found in November 2018 to give a total of eight items in 2018T593.



In 2022 it was realised that two more fragments of socketed axe (found October 2016) were also part of this hoard, and they have been recorded at NMS-141277 (Treasure number to come).
Subsequent action: Submitted for consideration as Treasure