Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

May 1889. Stray Find.
Found in modern cemetery at depth of approximately 3 feet [90cm]:
Late Bronze Age hoard of copper alloy objects and medieval pottery.
Various objects from this hoard were exhibited at a meeting of the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society on 5 July 1889 and subsequently described in (S1) as "…eleven articles and fragments in bronze consisting of socketted celts and a piece of a Bronze sword; also eight pieces of crude copper, some charcoal, and a portion of a rim of an earthenware urn or jar".

The Norwich Castle Museum acquired the objects from this hoard by bequest in 1952. These are listed in the museum's accession records as:
1 Late Bronze Age copper alloy sword fragment (NWHCM : 1952.213.1).
1 Late Bronze Age copper alloy looped palstave (NWHCM : 1952.213.2).
10 Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axeheads (NWHCM : 1952.213.3-12).
2 Late Bronze Age copper alloy casting jets (NWHCM : 1952.213.13-14).
5 Late Bronze Age copper alloy ingots (NWHCM : 1952.213.15-19).
1 medieval glazed pottery handle and 1 undated whetstone fragment (both NWHCM : 1963.123).
This information is mostly consistent with that recorded on (S2) and (S3). All of the Bronze Age objects are included in photograph (S4), the numbers on the reverse of which correspond with the NCM assession numbers.
The hoard is amongst the Norfolk discoveries included in (S5) and is also noted in (S6) and (S7). According to (S2) the hoard is recorded in (S6) as comprising 12 socketed axeheads, 6 ingots and 2 lumps of cake.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 30 May 2018.

1981.
Two socketed axes from this hoard are in Bishop Bonner's Cottage Museum (Dereham). These objects are presumably the reason that the hoard is recorded by (S6) as comprising 12 rather than 10 socketed axeheads.
Originally compiled by E. Rose (NAU) and A. J. Lawson (NAU), 6 November 1981.
Information from (S8).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 30 May 2018.

A sketch of a Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead from Dereham (S9) was previously attached to the NCM record card for this hoard. A note on the reverse of this sketch suggests that R. R. Clarke had received this drawing from O. G. S. Crawford in 1933. Another annotation records that this object had been found with 'moulds', which had later been crossed out and replaced with "lumps of copper". This suggests that this object was most likely part of this hoard and is presumably why the grid reference for this site had been later added to this sketch. Someone, presumably R. R. Clarke has also added a note suggesting that the object depicted is not obviously any of those in the Norwich Castle Museum.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 30 May 2018.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Early Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 1501 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC to 1001 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
• FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

• WHETSTONE (Unknown date)
• CASTING WASTE (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
• CHARCOAL (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
• HOARD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
• INGOT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
• PALSTAVE (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)
• SWORD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
• POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Dereham (Parish Summary)