Object: Hoard (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE ( to )
Material: Copper alloy 
Discovery method: Metal detector
Description: Socketed tools 



1.Socketed axe fragment. Copper alloy, blade end fragment. Socket filled with soil, undecorated. Dark green patina, one corrosion welt on cutting edge. Faint horizontal and vertical striations on body. Indented near socket end (likely heated and broken up).  



Length: 54mm. Breadth: 37mm. Socket length: 27mm. Socket breadth: 15mm. Weight: 84.0g. 

 

2. Socketed hammer fragment. Copper alloy, dark green patina, corrosion welts on contact surface. Casting seam well-trimmed. Socket filled with soil. 4mm indent/notch on body. Undecorated. Two faces on contact surface, one substantially larger than the other and worn down into a V-shape through use.  

L: 40mm. B: 27mm. SL: 18mm. SB: 16mm. W: 98.8g. 

 

3. Socketed axe fragment. Copper alloy, dark green patina. Large casting seam/internal flash (check for similar in Turner). Soil adhering to surface. Damaged loop present. Undecorated. 

L: 35mm. B: 21mm. D: 3mm. W: 23.3g. 



Copper alloy ingots 



4. Complete bun ingot. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion. Plano-convex shape. 3mm diameter gas hole on one side. Red/copper colour visible on flat side (possibly mineral inclusion). 



Diameter: 116mm. Depth: 32mm. Weight: 1453.7g. 



5. Complete bun ingot. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion. Plano-convex shape. Void present possibly relating to melting of finished objects into a molten state. Oval shaped. 

L: 106mm. B: 95mm. D: 23mm. W: 804.1g.  

 

6. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment, one-fifth of original ingot. Three depressions in flat surface (8mm, 6mm and 4mm). 

L: 96mm. B: 132mm. D: 40mm. W: 1146g. 

 

7. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment.  

L: 101mm. B: 68mm. D: 42mm. W: 811.8g.  

 

8. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment. 

L: 70mm. B: 53mm. D: 25mm. W: 252.1g. 

 

9. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment. Corrosion welts. 

L: 92mm. B: 57mm. D: 25mm. W: 460.5g.  

 

10. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment. Corrosion welts. Voids possibly relating to melting of finished objects into a molten state. 

L: 84mm. B: 48mm. D: 20mm. W: 230g. 



11. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment. Oval void on flat face (18mm length), circular voids on curved face (6mm diameter). 

L: 79mm. B: 52mm. D: 27mm. W: 502.5g.  



12. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment. Copper colour visible beneath patina. 

L: 71mm. B: 66mm. D: 28mm. W: 432.5g. 

 

13. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment. Corrosion welts.  

L: 82mm. B: 50mm. D: 32mm. W: 513.5g. 



14. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment. Corrosion welts. Voids present possibly relating to the melting of finished objects into the molten metal. 

L: 78mm. B: 47mm. D: 25mm. W: 194.9g.  



15. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment. 

L: 58mm. B: 31mm. D: 32mm. W: 197.5g. 

 

16. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Centre fragment. 

L: 49mm. B: 45mm. D: 25mm. W: 217.3g.  



17. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Centre fragment. 

L: 54mm. B: 31mm. D: 26mm. W: 208.4g. 

 

18. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment. Circular voids. White inclusion (chalk?) 

L: 69mm. B: 32mm. D: 16mm. W: 132.7g. 



19. Bun ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, heavy corrosion, soil adhering to surface. Plano-convex shape. Edge fragment.  

L: 40mm. B: 24mm. D: 18mm. W: 66.1g. 



20. Ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, soil adhering to surface, heavy corrosion.  

L: 74mm. B: 42mm. D: 15mm. W: 214.2g. 

 

21. Ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, soil adhering to surface, heavy corrosion. 

L: 40mm. B: 36mm. D: 25mm. W: 133.2g. 

 

22. Ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, soil adhering to surface, heavy corrosion. 

L: 46mm. B: 31mm. D: 23mm. W: 119.0g. 

 

23. Ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, soil adhering to surface, heavy corrosion. Possible voids. 

L: 40mm. B: 38mm. D: 23mm. W: 198.7g. 

 

24. Ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, soil adhering to surface, heavy corrosion. Triangular possible void. 

L: 51mm. B: 36mm. D: 22mm. W: 192.5g. 

 

25. Ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, soil adhering to surface, heavy corrosion. Circular voids. 

L: 56mm. B: 37mm. D: 25mm. W: 134g. 

 

26. Ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, soil adhering to surface, heavy corrosion. 

L: 33mm. B: 30mm. D: 23mm. W: 138.6g. 



27. Ingot fragment. Copper alloy, green patina, soil adhering to surface, heavy corrosion. Possible void 



L: 57mm. B: 42mm. D: 24mm. W: 275.3g. 

 

Discussion: This hoard of three socketed tools, two complete bun ingots and 22 fragments of bun ingot is consistent with a Late Bronze Age date, especially with the Ewart Park phase (c.1000 – 800 BC) (cf. Needham 1990). Perhaps the most notable feature of the hoard is the relative paucity of socketed tools compare to ingot (fragments and complete). Complete (or near complete) bun ingots formed part of the Bexley Heath hoard, Essex (Turner 2010, 126-39, no. 15). Other relevant comparanda include the hoard from ‘Burnham on Crouch’, Essex, which contained socketed tools, weapons and fragments of copper alloy ingot (Treasure case 2010 T509), and the hoard from ‘East Colchester’, Essex, which contained socketed tools, complete and fragmentary ingot fragments (Treasure case 2004 T116).  



Bibliography  



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 



Turner, L. 2010, A Re-Interpretation of the Later Bronze Age Metalwork Hoards of Essex and Kent (2 vols.), Oxford: BAR British Series 507 



Authors 



Katie Sawyer, University of Durham 



Neil Wilkin, Curator, The British Museum
Notes: Conclusion: As a find of more than two pieces of copper alloy, this case qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act (1996) (Designation Order 2002).
Subsequent action: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure