Record Details

NHER Number:34355
Type of record:Monument
Name:Possible Early Saxon cemetery and multi-period finds

Summary

Metal-detecting between 1999 and 2012 recovered Iron Age, Roman and medieval coins as well as Iron Age, Roman, Early Saxon, Late Saxon, medieval and post-medieval metal objects. The metal finds include Iron Age and Roman brooches; Early Saxon girdle hangers, parts of sleeve clasps, numerous brooches, a finger ring and part of a shield; Late Saxon, medieval and post-medieval strap fittings and a medieval buckle.
The distribution and types of finds recovered have been interpreted as evidence that an Early Saxon cemetery existed on this site. This may be related to the nearby site NHER 34131, which may also be a cemetery of the same period, and is likely to be linked to the cemetery at NHER 25458, just to the north.

Images

  • Early Saxon annular brooch from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon sleeve clasp from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon sleeve clasp from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon girdle hanger from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon girdle hanger from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon bucket from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon great square-headed brooch from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon florid cruciform brooch from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon small-long brooch from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon small-long brooch from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council
  • Early Saxon cruciform brooch from NHER 34355  © Norfolk County Council

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TF70SE
Parish:OXBOROUGH, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

February 1999. Metal detecting. [1].
Remains of a one piece Colchester brooch. Wings, spring, forward-facing hook all survive as stubs only. The bow is a facetted oval in section and the foot is missing. Dating to the 1st century AD.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 2 April 1999.

May to June 1999. Metal detecting. Site extended. [2], [3].
One Iron Age gold coin, six Roman and one medieval coin.
Finds, (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 and S6), suggest a Early Saxon inhumation cemetery. Nearby NHER 34131 has also been interpreted as an Early Saxon cemetery. Sites may be related.
Roman, possible Late Saxon finds, medieval and post medieval metal finds.
See lists in secondary file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 22 December 1999.

January 2001. Metal detecting. Site extended. [4].
One Roman coin.
Early Saxon brooch, possible Early Saxon shield mount.
See lists in secondary file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 6 March 2001.

2005. Thematic Research.
This site formed part of case study area for a research paper on the value of metal-detected finds in archaeological research, particularly within landscape studies and identification of previously unknown cemetery sites. The case study area included NHER 25458, NHER 28671, NHER 31759, NHER 34131, NHER 34355, and NHER 34965.
See journal article (S7) for further details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 26 July 2017.

Before 10 December 2012. Metal-detecting. Site extended to north. [5].
Early Saxon girdle hangers, hook-plates from pairs of sleeve clasps, brooches and a fragment of binding strip, probably from a bucket.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 5 February 2013.

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • CEMETERY (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • INHUMATION CEMETERY (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 650 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • BOW BROOCH (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • COIN (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • BOW BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • GIRDLE HANGER (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • SHIELD (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 525 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 600 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 600 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 600 AD)
  • GIRDLE HANGER (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 525 AD)
  • GIRDLE HANGER (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 525 AD)
  • SLEEVE CLASP (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 525 AD)
  • SLEEVE CLASP (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 525 AD)
  • VESSEL (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 600 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 550 AD to 570 AD)
  • BROOCH (Early Saxon - 575 AD to 625 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Photograph: I & RS. Digital finds image.
---Photograph: 1999. KSM 19, Romano British brooch..
---Photograph: 1999. KSM 21, Early Saxon brooch fragment..
---Photograph: 1999. KSM 23, Early Saxon girdle hanger..
---Photograph: 1999. KSM 24, Early Saxon cruciform knob..
---Photograph: 1999. KSM 25-26, Early Saxon back plate of a saucer brooch..
---Photograph: 1999. KSM 27, Early Saxon small long brooch..
---Photograph: 1999. KSM 22, Early Saxon brooch fragment..
---Photograph: 1999. KSR 11, Cruciform brooch headplate.
---Photograph: 1999. KSR 12, Cruciform brooch footplate fragment..
---Photograph: 1999. KSR 13, Girdle hanger..
---Photograph: 1999. KSR 14, Brooch knob..
---Photograph: 1999. KSR 15, Late Saxon/Medieval mount..
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Photograph: 2001. LFY 18, Early Saxon Brooch fragment..
<S1>Illustration: Holness, A.. 1999. Drawing of an Early Saxon cruciform brooch foot fragment.. Card. 1:1.
<S2>Illustration: Holness, A.. 1999. Drawing of an Early Saxon side knob fron a cruciform brooch.. Card. 1:1.
<S3>Illustration: White, S.. 1999. Drawing of an Early Saxon back plate of a saucer brooch.. Film. 1:1.
<S4>Illustration: Holness, A.. 1999. Drawing of an Early Saxon small long brooch.. Card. 1:1.
<S5>Illustration: Holness, A.. 1999. Drawing of an Early Saxon small long brooch head plate.. Card. 1:1.
<S6>Illustration: Holness, A.. 1999. Drawing of an Early Saxon girdle hanger.. Card. 1:1.
<S7>Article in Serial: Chester-Kadwell, M. 2005. Metal-Detector Finds in Context: New Light on 'Dark Age' Cemeteries in the Landscape of Norfolk. Archaelogical Review from Cambridge. Vol 20.1, pp 70-96. pp 90-93.

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