File:Bronze Age, Unidentified fragment (FindID 569163).jpg

English: An incomplete strip of decorated gold, of probable Bronze Age dating (c. 2150 BC to c. 1150 BC).

The strip of gold is sub rectangular in plan, and is folded longitudinally (length ways) in half. The strip has been decorated with a series of embossed ridges along its length. The strip has been severed at both ends, one edge straight and the other ragged. A small fragment has broken off the larger object.

The larger fragment measures 23.06 mm in length, 8.06 mm wide and 7.74 mm thick. The strip is 0.81 mm thick. It weighs 1.2 g. The smaller fragment measures 5.81 mm in length, 4.07 mm wide and 0.34 mm thick. It weighs 0.05 g. Together they both weigh 1.3 g.

Similar strips of gold with ribbed decoration have been recorded on the PAS database including ESS-C13B97, SUR-1B64F5, NMS-46A4D6, PAS-E9E2A1, SF-D30D10, LIN-946F12 and WAW-052196.

Similar multi-grooved strips of a Bronze Age date are known from throughout Britain including in the British Museum collection from Flixton, Yorkshire (2004,0904.1a-b, Treasure Annual Report 2003, 16. no. 2) and Ravencliff Cave, Derbyshire (British Museum 1906,1224.1-2) as well as recent finds such as Ansley, Warwickshire and West Acre Norfolk (Treasure Annual Report 2007, 47-48). A very similar strip from Sproxton, North Yorkshire is recorded on the PAS database as LVPL-83FE92. There is also a similar grooved strip from The Hamel, Oxford, Oxfordshire excavated from a layer which yielded Beaker pottery of the Early Bronze Age (Palmer 1980, 124-134). Similar narrow embossed strips are known from the pommels of daggers accompanying Early Bronze Age burials in Scotland (Henshall 1968, 173-95; Hardaker 1974, 21-23. fig 6.; Taylor 1980, fig 28a-f) but not however comparable to gold dagger fittings in contemporary burials southern England. Other Bronze Age gold strips found singly such as at Flixton, Yorkshire (British Museum 2004,0904.1a-b, Treasure Annual Report 2003, 16, no. 2) are broader and have more and narrower incised grooves. The annular ring from the Late Bronze Age hoard at Abia de la Obispalia, central Spain is comparable in form and dimensions but the grooves appear to have been incised rather than embossed (Almagro Gorbea 1974). Similarly, the Bronze Age annular ring from Armissan, southeast France may be comparable (Eluère 1981, 48-49, fig. 55).

As this fragment is older than 300 years in age, with a precious metal content of greater than 10%, it should be considered as potential Treasure under the Treasure Act 1996.

Peter Reavill (Herefordshire & Shropshire FLO) comments that it looks very much like the sheet bracelets you get in the Early - Mid BA Eogan p 50 and figures 18 (p52) Ramsgate Kent, Fig 21 (p56) Mountfield Sussex and fig 24 (p60) C) Clooneenbaun Co Roscommon F) Dysart Co West Meath - which I think are broadly equates to the Acton Park - Penard assemblages. Your example looks as if the edges are rolled over.