NHER 1672 (Find Spot record) - Snettisham Bronze Age Hoard IV

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Summary

Between 1962 and 1986 a large number of Late Bronze Age metal objects were recovered in the parish of Snettisham. These included whole pieces and fragments of over twenty individual pieces including axeheads and a very interesting 'continental antenna-hilted sword'. It is thought that the presence of ingot and metal cake fragments, in both copper alloy and lead, indicates that this is the hoard of a metal-worker. It is thought that this hoard may be related to earlier finds in 1779 (NHER 1504), the 1930s (NHER 1670) and 1948 (NHER 1671).

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet TF73SW
Civil Parish SNETTISHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

July 1962. Stray Find.
Found while hoeing kale at [1]:
Part of Late Bronze Age copper alloy founders hoard comprising:
1. Socketed axe, cutting edge. See drawing (S1).
2. Another (small) socketed axehead. See drawing (S2).
3. Part of hilt of European antenna-hilted sword. See drawing (S3).
4. Ingot fragment. See drawing (S2).
Donated to King's Lynn Museum (KILLM : 1962.73.16-19). See also drawing (S4).
Information from (S5). This discovery was reported in (S6).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 February 2018.

Before 1965. Stray Find.
Additional object from hoard:
5. Another socketed axe (mouth fragment). See drawing (S1).
Also donated to King's Lynn Museum (KILLM : 1965.25).
Information from (S5).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 February 2018.

Before 1971. Stray Find.
Surface finds, variously over several years.
6-15. Ten fragments of socketed axes, including mouth of octagonal faceted axe with fragment of another jammed in it. See drawings (S7)-(S9).
16-18. Three ingot fragments. See drawing (S10).
Some of these in KLM (probably KILLM : 1971.22.1-10).
Information from (S5). These discoveries were also reported in (S11) and (S12).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 February 2018.

Pre April 1974. Stray Find.
Five additional items from hoard brought in:
Two blade from socketed axeheads. See drawing (S13).
Hollow tubular object, either a waste product or an unfinished object. See drawing (S13).
Sword blade fragment. See drawing (S14).
Ingot fragment. See drawing (S14).
All also donated to King's Lynn Museum (KILLM : 1962.73.11-15).
Information from museum records.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 February 2018.

11 March 1976. Metal-detecting.
Search with a metal-detector produced thirteen pieces from the topsoil. No evidence of any further material remaining in situ.
Finds in KLM [4].
Cake ingot fragments (Nos 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 34). See drawing (S15).
Axe fragments. (Nos 23 and 28). See drawing (S16).
Complete axe (No. 25). See drawing (S16).
Casting jet (No. 32). See drawing (S16).
Sword blade fragments (Nos 31 and 33). See drawing (S16).
Apparently with King's Lynn Museum (possibly KILLM : 1962.73, although these objects are not listed in the digital accession records).
Information from (S17). These discoveries were reported in (S18).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 February 2018.

April 1986. Metal-detecting.
Additional hoard objects including small socketed chisel, fragments of socketed axes and cake.
See drawing (S19).
Identified J. Wymer (NAU).
Information from (S17).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 February 2018.

September 1986. Metal-detecting.
Additional hoard objects including sword handle and blade, awl, bronze cake and lead ingot.
See drawing (S20).
Identified by J. J. Wymer (NAU).
Information from (S17).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 February 2018.

See also drawing (S21).

  • --- Photograph: HY8,RE30-3,CZR 1-27.
  • --- Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 73 SW 21.
  • --- Secondary File: Secondary File.
  • --- Slide: Various. Slide.
  • <S1> Illustration: Clough, T. 1971. Drawing of two incomplete Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axeheads (Hoard IV Nos 1 and 5). Card. 1:1.
  • <S10> Illustration: Clough, T. 1971. Drawing of three Late Bronze Age copper alloy ingot fragments. Card. 1:1.
  • <S11> Serial: 1967. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1967. No 14. p 8.
  • <S12> Serial: 1970. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1970. No 17. p 14.
  • <S13> Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of two Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead cutting edge fragments and a copper alloy ?unifinished object. Paper. 1:1.
  • <S14> Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy sword blade fragment and a copper alloy ingot fragment. Paper. 1:1.
  • <S15> Illustration: Lawson, A. 1976. Drawing of Late Bronze Age copper alloy cake ingot fragments (Hoard IV). Paper. Unknown.
  • <S16> Illustration: Lawson, A. 1976. Drawing of Late Bronze Age copper alloy objects including socketed axehead fragments, a complete socketed axehead, casting jet and two sword blade fragments. Paper. 1:1.
  • <S17> Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
  • <S18> Serial: 1976. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1976. No 23. pp 20-21.
  • <S19> Illustration: Wymer, J. 1986. Drawing of a Late Bronze Age copper alloy objects including socketed chisel and socketed axehead blade and socket fragments. Paper. 1:1.
  • <S2> Illustration: Clough, T. 1971. Drawings of Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axe blade fragment and an ingot fragment (Hoard IV Nos 2 and 4). Card. 1:1.
  • <S20> Illustration: Wymer, J. 1986. Drawing of Late Bronze Age copper alloy sword handle, blade fragments, awl and cake and lead ingot. Paper. 1:1.
  • <S21> Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawings of Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead fragments. Paper. 1:1.
  • <S3> Illustration: Clough, T. 1971. Drawing of a Bronze Age copper alloy hilt from continental antenna-hilted sword (Hoard IV No 3). Card. 1:1.
  • <S4> Illustration: Unknown. Unknown. Drawings of two Late Bronze Age socketed axe fragments and Bronze Age antenna-hilted sword fragment.. Paper. 1:1.
  • <S5> Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Bronze Age. Snettisham [2].
  • <S6> Serial: 1962. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1962. No 9. p 5.
  • <S7> Illustration: Clough, T. 1971. Drawing of three Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead cutting edge fragments (Hoard IV). Card. 1:1.
  • <S8> Illustration: Clough, T. 1971. Drawing of four Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead cutting edge fragments. Card. 1:1.
  • <S9> Illustration: Clough, T. 1971. Drawing of three Late Bronze Age copper alloy socketed axehead socket fragments. Card. 1:1.
  • AWL (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • CHISEL (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)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (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)
  • SWORD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • SWORD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • SWORD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • SWORD (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)
  • WASTE (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC to 701 BC)

Record last edited

Aug 21 2025 2:49PM

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