Bronze Age 3300 - 1200 BCE
Geologic to Prehistoric
A collection of Bronze Age damaged or worn bronze objects including axe heads, sword framents and other bronze pieces found together buried in a hoard.
This Bronze Age hoard of 56 socketed axe heads, fragments of sword, spearheads and other bronze metalwork were discovered by a metal detectorist in 2004 within the north-eastern confines of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure in an undisclosed location in the county.
During the Bronze Age flint was not immediately replaced by metal working although bronze allowed for a superior range of tools and weapons. It is likely that collections (hoards) of valuable or important metal objects were therefore buried in the ground or deposited in a safe place. Such hoards can vary in size and content, from a handful of coins to a cache of tools.
This hoard is interesting as many of the tools show signs of heavy wear and damage, so they could be a collection of scrap metal. It is likely that they were collected with other surplus bronze to form a metal resource for recycling. The diverse collection of tools, weapons, metalworking debris and ingots of raw material suggest that this is a metalworker’s hoard, intended to be recovered at a later time.
Number 15 of the objects selected for the A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects Exhibition 2025
A cavalry officer’s heavy sword carried in the Battle of Waterloo, 1815. It is 102cm long, with a matching scabbard. It is made from metal with decoration on the blade called blue and gilt, which has now faded.
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NMAG
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Delapre Abbey
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NMAG
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NMAG