Record Details
| NHER Number: | 21704 |
|---|
| Type of record: | Find Spot |
|---|
| Name: | Bronze Age gold torc and Saxon/medieval spindle whorl |
|---|
Summary
In 1984 a gold bar torc with rounded tapering terminals was found protruding from the soil in a field in Sculthorpe. It survived in good condition and was dated to the Bronze Age. Later, in 1995, a Late Saxon or medieval lead spindle-whorl with decorated surfaces was found in the same area that the torc was retrieved from.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | Not displayed |
|---|
| Map Sheet: | TF83SE |
|---|
| Parish: | SCULTHORPE, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
|---|
Full description
December 1984. Stray Find.
See Notes for description of provenance.
Gold bar torc with rounded tapering terminals (see for comparison Foulsham Torc).
Length of twisted bar 103cm; terminals 8cm including bend and with bar inserted into them. Weight of torc 216g. In good condition with little damage apart from bends.
Informant: reported to Archaeological Unit 31 July 1985.
Site visited same day by J. J. Wymer (NAU). Find spot covered by uncut barley. Irregularity of nearby surface suggested disturbance by construction or cleaning. Torc taken to British Museum and deposited there on 7 August 1985.
See report (S1) for further details and discussion of similar finds from elsewhere. See also drawing (S2) and photographs (S3).
J. J. Wymer (NAU) 4 September 1985. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 18 March 2015.
Declared Treasure Trove 2 December 1985.
See note on file account that Roman sherds may have been found here.
E. Rose (NAU).
October 1995. Detector find.
Biconical lead spindle-whorl, with decorated surfaces. Late Saxon or early medieval.
See drawing (S?).
D. Gurney (NLA) 5 October 1995.
Monument Types
- FINDSPOT (Early Bronze Age to Medieval - 2350 BC to 1539 AD)
Associated Finds
- TORC (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
- POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- SPINDLE WHORL (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
- SPINDLE WHORL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Newspaper Article: Daily Mail. 1985. Belting find. 3 December. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1985. [Articles on the finding and inquest into the Sculthorpe gold torc]. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: The Sun. 1985. Farmer picks up £10,000!. 3 December. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Illustration: Penn, K.. 1995. Drawing of an early/Middle Saxon biconical lead spindle-whorl.. Film. 2:1. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| --- | Unpublished Report: Norfok Archaeological Unit. 1985. A Gold Torc from Sculthorpe, Norfolk. |
| --- | Photograph: CUC 27-36, CUD, CUE 1-24. |
| <S2> | Illustration: Penn, K.. 1985. Drawing of a Bronze Age gold bar torc.. Film. 2:1. |
| <S3> | Photograph: Wicks, D. 1985. Sculthorpe torc. Black & white. print. |
Related records - none
Find out more...