NHER 2243 (Find Spot record) - Middle Bronze Age flanged copper alloy axehead hoard

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Summary

Around 1850 a hoard of Middle Bronze Age flanged copper alloy axeheads was recovered from Wiggenhall Fens. At least one of the axeheads is now in the NCM. The exact date and location of this discovery are unclear.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet Not recorded
Civil Parish WIGGENHALL ST MARY MAGDALEN, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

No mapped location recorded.

Around 1850. Stray Find.
Found in Wiggenhall Fens:
Hoard of Middle Bronze Age "flanged bronze axes".
Information from (S1).

It is recorded by (S1) that prior to 1853 one of the axes was in possession of Rev. H. Creed and later in the "Acton Collection" - this information apparently coming from (S2). This or another axe from this hoard was formerly held by the Moyse's Hall Museum at Bury St Edmund. The following dimensions are recorded on (S1): length 146mm, edge width 40mm, middle 25mm, butt 22mm. This is possibly the "Bronze celt, found with others in the Fens of Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen, Norfolk.." that was presented to the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology by Rev. Creed in 1850 (S3).

The Moyse's Hall axe is now held by Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1958.346.6), where it is listed as an Early Bronze Age 'Medocain' axehead imported from France. It is noted and illustrated in (S4) - see copy of drawing in file.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 26 February 2018.

  • --- Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
  • --- Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 51 SE 7.
  • --- Secondary File: Secondary File.
  • --- Slide: Various. Slide.
  • <S1> Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Bronze Age. Wiggenhall (St Mary).
  • <S2> Documentary Source: Manning, C. R. 1853. Catalogue of Antiquities found in the County of Norfolk. p 15.
  • <S3> Article in Serial: 1853. Quarterly Meetings. Proceedings of the Bury and West Suffolk Archaeological Institute. Vol I pp 148-155. p 154.
  • <S4> Article in Monograph: Needham, S. 1979. The extent of foreign influence on Early Bronze Age axe development in southern Britain. The Origins of Metallurgy in Atlantic Europe. Ryan, M (ed.). pp 265-293. Fig 8.
  • FLANGED AXEHEAD (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC to 1001 BC)
  • HOARD (Middle Bronze Age - 1600 BC to 1001 BC)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Jul 12 2020 5:14PM

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