Record Details
| NHER Number: | 3089 |
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| Type of record: | Find Spot |
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| Name: | Bronze Age metal hoard |
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Summary
A hoard of a hundred and forty one Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axeheads was found in 1953 during drain cutting works.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | Not displayed |
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| Map Sheet: | TG02NW |
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| Parish: | FOULSHAM, BROADLAND, NORFOLK |
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Full description
The Foulsham Hoard.
1953. Stray Find.
Found while cutting drains 500 yds [457m] east of Millhill Farm at depth of 9 to 18 inches [23cm to 45cm] in clay soil:
Late Bronze Age hoard comprising 141 copper alloy socketed axeheads. R. R. Clarke (NCM) visited the site on 9 January 1953 and excavated the spot.
The Norwich Castle Museum received 128 of the axeheads (NWHCM : 1953.40), with the other 13 recorded as being in private hands at this time, including:
6 held by [1](Nos 1-6). See drawings (S1) and (S2).
1 held by [2] (No 135). See drawing (S3).
1 held by [3] (No 136). Subsequently purchased by NCM (NWHCM : 1990.224 : A). See drawing (S4).
1 held by [4] (No 137). See drawing (S5).
3 held by [5] (Nos 138-140). See drawings (S6) and (S7)
1 held by [6] (No 141) - see drawing (S8) and rough sketch (S9).
The NCM hold 19 plaster copies of axeheads from this hoard, thirteen of which appear to be the objects that were in private hands in 1953 (NWHCM : 1953.40.1-6 and NWHCM : 1953.40.135-141).
See photographs (S10) in file [7], including one that shows six axeheads that were "in private possession" - perhaps those held by [1].
The following is a rough classification compiled by R. R. Clarke of the 128 axeheads held by the NCM in 1953 and the six that were in the possession of [1]: -
Three with winged ornament.
One with two ribs.
Thirty five with three ribs.
Five with four ribs.
One with five ribs.
One with three ribs and deep collars.
Nine facetted.
Fifty seven plain with one rib round neck.
Two plain with two ribs round neck.
Twelve plain.
Plain one rib round neck with sharp corners.
All the axes were drawn for (S11) in 1958.
Information from (S12).
The excavation of this hoard is brief described in (S13) and (S14) and it was also the subject of local press article (S15). It is also amongst the Bronze Age finds listed in (S16).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 4 June 2018.
At an unknown date the Norwich Castle Museum recorded a Late Bronze Age socketed axehead that was in the possession of [8]. See drawings (S17) and (S18).
This axehead was recorded as being potentially from the Foulsham Hoard but the reason for this suggestion unclear and the drawings suggest that it is not any of one of the previously drawn objects in private ownership.
See note by E Rose (NAU) on (S19).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 4 June 2018.
2014.
One of the socketed axes from this hoard is in the HES handling collection (NWHCM : 1953.40.62) [9].
C. Bradshaw (HES), 20 August 2014.
Monument Types
- FINDSPOT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
Associated Finds
- HOARD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
- SOCKETED AXEHEAD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
- SOCKETED AXEHEAD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
- SOCKETED AXEHEAD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
- SOCKETED AXEHEAD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
- SOCKETED AXEHEAD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
- SOCKETED AXEHEAD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
- SOCKETED AXEHEAD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 02 NW 12. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| --- | Illustration: [Unknown]. 1953. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead [No 7]. Paper. 1:1. |
| <S1> | Illustration: [Unknown]. 1953. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead [No 5]. Paper. 1:1. |
| <S2> | Illustration: [Unknown]. 1953. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead [No 6]. Paper. 1:1. |
| <S3> | Illustration: [Unknown]. 1953. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead [No 135]. Paper. 1:1. |
| <S4> | Illustration: [Unknown]. 1953. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead [No 136]. Paper. 1:1. |
| <S5> | Illustration: [Unknown]. 1953. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead [No 137]. Paper. 1:1. |
| <S6> | Illustration: [Unknown]. 1953. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead [No 138]. Paper. 1:1. |
| <S7> | Illustration: [Unknown]. 1953. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead [No 139]. Paper. 1:1. |
| <S8> | Illustration: [Unknown]. 1953. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead [No 141]. Paper. 1:1. |
| <S9> | Illustration: [Unknown]. Rough sketch of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead [No 141]. Card. 1:1. |
| <S10> | Photograph: NLA. Finds Photograph. |
| <S11> | Archive: British Museum. 1913 onwards. Bronze Age Index. |
| <S12> | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Bronze Age. Foulsham. |
| <S13> | Article in Serial: Clarke, R. R. 1954. Norwich Museum Excavations 1953. Norfolk Research Committee Bulletin. Series 1 No 6 (for 1953) p 2. p 2. |
| <S14> | Article in Serial: Clarke, R. R. 1957. Archaeological Discoveries in Norfolk 1949-54. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXXI pp 395-416. p 398. |
| <S15> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1953. Bronze Age hoard for Castle Museum. 12 February. |
| <S16> | Publication: Norfolk Museums Service. 1966. Bronze Age Metalwork in Norwich Castle Museum. p 33. |
| <S17> | Illustration: Langmaid, N. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead. Card. 1:1. |
| <S18> | Illustration: Milligan, W. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead. Card. 1:1. |
| <S19> | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
Related records - none
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