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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	1331
Type of record:	Find Spot
Name:	Iron Age horse harness hoard

Summary

In 1950 a hoard of Iron Age horse harness items was discovered at this location and excavated. The collection was thought to originate from the Middle Trent and Upper Witham Basin and comprised bridle-bits, bronze plates, rivets, a clasp and a strap union. At the time it was felt to be an Iron Age chariot burial of one of Queen Boudicca's chieftains although this notion has remained unproven.

Images

Location

Grid Reference:	Not displayed
Map Sheet:	TF74SW
Parish:	RINGSTEAD, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

March 1950.
Hoard of Iron Age horse trappings etc. found.
Excavation followed April 3 - 4 for NRC.
Founder's hoard, concealed late 1st century BC. Fox dates it to around 40 BC and thinks comes from Middle Trent and Upper Witham Basin. Consists of two or three bronze bridle-bits (outer rings bronze coated iron) (S1)-(S6), two elliptical bronze plates (?from shield) (S7)-(S8), two rivets (S9), one clasp (S10), one strap union (S11), a thick disc or ingot (S12) one flat strap of sheet metal (S13), curved object of sheet metal (S14), and fragmentary (S15).
Plan of excavations in NCM.
See published report (S20) for further details.
Photographs (S16), press cuttings (S17)-(S19) and list of references in file. One of the finds from this site is also amongst those considered in (S21).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 18 February 2018.

Monument Types

FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Finds

BRIDLE BIT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
BRIDLE BIT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
CLASP (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
HARNESS (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
HARNESS FITTING (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
HOARD (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
INGOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
RIVET (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
SHIELD (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---	Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 74 SW 2.
---	Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---	Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Iron Age. Ringstead.
---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
---	Slide: Various. Slide.
<S1>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age copper alloy bridle-bit (Bit 1 - front view). Card. 1:1.
<S2>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age copper alloy bridle-bit (Bit 1 - top view). Card. 1:1.
<S3>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age copper alloy bridle-bit (Bit 2 - front view). Card. 1:1.
<S4>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age copper alloy bridle-bit (Bit 2 - top view). Card. 1:1.
<S5>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of decoration on Iron Age copper alloy bridle-bit (Bit 2). Card. Scale unknown.
<S6>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawings of the decoration on two Iron Age copper alloy bridle-bits. Card. 2:1.
<S7>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age copper alloy plate. Card. 1:1.
<S8>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age copper alloy plate. Card. Unknown.
<S9>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of two Iron Age copper alloy rivets. Card. 1:1.
<S10>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age copper alloy clasp. Card. 1:1.
<S11>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawings of an Iron Age copper alloy strap union and detail of repair on copper alloy plate. Card. 1:1.
<S12>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age copper alloy 'cake' or ingot. Card. 1:1.
<S13>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age piece of fragmentary copper alloy sheet. Card. 1:1.
<S14>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age piece of fragmentary copper alloy sheet. Card. 1:1.
<S15>	Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of an Iron Age rivet in a copper alloy sheet. Card. 1:1.
<S16>	Photograph: 1950. CM180-1, 212-3, 249-52.
<S17>	Newspaper Article: Lynn Advertiser. 1950. [unknown]. 17 March.
<S18>	Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1950. [unknown]. 18 March.
<S19>	Newspaper Article: 1950. Two horse bits and trapping of bronze - Possible evidence of chariot burial.
<S20>	Article in Serial: Clarke, R. R. 1951. A Hoard of Metalwork of the Early Iron Age from Ringstead, Norfolk. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. Vol XVII Pt 2 pp 214-225.
<S21>	Article in Serial: Taylor, R. J. and Brailsford, J. W. 1985. British Iron Age Strap-Unions. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. Vol 51 pp 247-272. p 253.