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Histories of Northamptonshire
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Bronze Age Hoard

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.

Bronze Age hoard © NMAG
Bronze Age hoard
Number of additional bronze metal fragments included blade fragments © Creative Commons Non Commercial Licence
Number of additional bronze metal fragments included blade fragments
Selection of socketed axe heads © Creative Commons Non Commercial License
Selection of socketed axe heads

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

2nd Image: CC Licence The British Museum

3rd Image: CC Licence The British Museum

Northamptonshire
Contributed by NMAG

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