Object: Armlet (Bronze Age)
Period: Bronze Age to BRONZE AGE (-1000 to -800)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: North Stainley with Sleningford, Harrogate, North Yorkshire (Yorkshire and the Humber)
Discovery method: Other chance find
Length: 113.4 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight: 362 g
Description: A copper alloy armlet or bracelet probably dating from the Later Bronze Age, about 1000 BC - 800 BC. It is a penannular loop with flared, expanding terminals. These are close together, leaving a gap of only about 4-6mm between them. Each terminal is circular and the ends are concave or hollow. The inner face of one terminal is rough and corroded and has gravel adhering to the concretion. The outer sides of the terminals are straight, flaring from the armlet hoop to the widest point of the terminals at the very end. The hoop is mainly D shaped in cross section and varies in diameter. It is c.12mm diameter immediately behind the terminals, swelling to c.18mm diameter at the side of the hoop opposite the terminals. The overall plan is D-shaped, the terminals being in the middle of the straight edge. It has been suggested that the original shape of the bracelet has been changed, as the terminals are unusually close to each other. There are some short shallow grooves on the inside of the hoop, near one of the terminals, and parallel to the end of the terminal. These are worn and patinated. The surface is mainly smooth and worn, with a few small pits, and has a turquoise green patina, with some areas of golden olive green. The armlet is 113.4mm long, 88.8mm wide (from terminals to the outer side of the hoop) and 24mm thick across the terminals. The internal measurements are 83.2mm long and 48.6mm wide from the terminal to the inner edge of the apex. 362g. The artefact was recovered from a quarry and has been through a washing plant where it would have been scrubbed with sand. This may account for the smooth, worn surface, but the fact that not all the patina has been removed suggests that it was a well developed patina originally. The small areas of olive green colouration may indicate the original colour.



This object could also be a Post Medieval to Modern West African manilla or currency bar such as WMID-22DE66, LANCUM-41B6C5 or LIN-E37002, but all of these previously recorded on the PAS database have solid, teardrop shaped terminals, and a more open, horseshoe like shape in plan. However, it remains a possibility that this is a manilla of different style. The depth and uniformity of the patina argues against this interpretation.



A good parallel but in gold rather than copper alloy is HAMP-5E48D1. Photographs of the copper alloy armlet were sent to several specialists. Adam Gwilt (National Museum of Wales) suggested that there is a tendancy for bronze versions of objects that are usually gold to be more common in Western and Northern Britain and provided a reference that touches on this: Gwilt et al (2005) A Late Bronze Age Hoard from Trevalyn Farm, Rossett, Wrexham, with Some Obvervations on Hoarding Practice and Gold Bracelet Weights" in Studia Celtica XXXIX (2005), pages 27 - 61. He also noted that the squashed oval form looked atypical and suggested that the terminals may have been pushed inwards, perhaps deliberately before deposition. He suggested that the shape of the terminals are possible for the Late Bronze Age, though this example has chunky proportions.



Julia Farley (British Museum) agreed that the patina was plausibly Bronze Age or Iron Age, and Neil Wilkin (British Museum) was also prepared to entertain a Late Bronze Age date, citing a pair of slightly more slender copper alloy pennannular bracelets with expanded terminals recovered in a cache of Late Bronze Age (Ewart Park / Carp's Tongue) metalwork at Minster in Thanet, Kent which were excavated in 2010 - 2011 (MOLA Excavation Report: 'Prehistoric and Roman settlement at Tothill Street, Minster in Thanet, Kent' downloaded from www.kentarchaeology.org.uk). He did point out that the terminals are closer together than the Thanet examples, and the shape is more kidney-shaped.



In conclusion, this object is likely to be a Late Bronze Age armlet that has been distorted, perhaps deliberately, and one that has been made in copper alloy rather than the more usual gold.
Subsequent action: Returned to finder