File:Early-medieval assemblage, Amber bead (FindID 712878).jpg

English: Two Anglo Saxon saucer brooches were found face to face by a metal detector user. Within the brooches was placed two further artefacts, an amber bead and annular brooch. What appears to be textile remains is visible above the annular brooch and for this reason none of the artefacts have been cleaned. The artefacts come from c. 15" down on pasture land. The report presents the objects in their current condition so further information may be gained after cleaning and conservation.

A pin was found in the same hole as the brooches however it was apart from the main assembalge. This pin is complete, undecorated with an expanded head which is flattened and perforated. It has a circular sectioned shank and tapers to a point at the tip. This pin is similar to many others found within the Thames Valley, including nearby Wally Corner and Abingdon. It dates to the later 5th to 6th century AD. It measures 79.7mm in length with the head having a gross diameter of 6.9mm. Weight: 3.2 grams.

Two incomplete cast copper alloy saucer brooches were found placed face-to-face, one above the other. The brooches are large examples of the type and appear to bear the same decoration, however the face of one is currently obscured by the annular brooch and possible textile and other organic remains. The top brooch has a small nic out of one edge of the upturned rim and appears to be missing its pin and part of the catch on the reverse. The decoration on the face consists of a central circular field within which is an equal-armed cross with a large ring-and-dot in each of the arms of the cross. A concentric band separates this from the outer field of decoration. This is a geometric design of an inverted triangle (in the keystone style) between a panel of eight square cells, each decorated with horizontal or vertical lines, alternating between each cell, termed 'basketwork' decoration. This pattern is repeated four times. Although no trace of gilding survives it is likely that they were gilded originally. No direct comparison for the design of the brooch could be found but there are several other brooches that incorporate the same themes (see below). The top brooch, although it still has some mud adhering to it, weighs 43.9 grams. It measures 76mm wide and 11.8mm high.

A copper alloy annular brooch has been placed over the face of the bottom saucer brooch. It has a small hole near the inner edge to house the loop of a pin (absent), while opposite is a V-shaped notch. The annular brooch does not appear to be decorated however it has not been removed because of the presence of possbile textile remains, so the opposing face may bear decoration, which is often seen on brooches of this type and period, including similar examples from Abingdon and Wallingford. The annular brooch has an external diameter of 51mm with the inner hole having a diameter of 22mm.

An amber bead, which looks burnt in its current condition, was found within the void of the two saucer brooches placed above the central hole of the annular brooch. It is broadly circular in plan and has a central perforation. The bead is 29.5mm in diameter and 20.5mm thick. It weighs 10.6grams.

This is a very interesting and unusual collection and placement of artefacts; the objects suggest broadly a late 6th-7th century date. Tania Dickison has kindly provided some parallels for the brooches and comments:
'The best parallel for the cross is the pair from the Maison Dieu collection, Faversham, Kent ( combined with an outer field of 4 pseudo-inlays and 'scallops'). Cf. Puddlehill, Beds, grave 10, where the central motif has 3 not 4 arms and there is an intermediary field of basketwork (, ASSAH 4, 1985, 59-117). In turn, cf. the brooch from Stone, Bucks, where the central cross is straight-armed, but cross-hatched. Straight-armed central crosses are quite common central motifs in the 'large' series, and are found combined with pseudo-inlays and two fields of basketwork on Abingdon I, B5 and Avening, Glos (SMR Site 11076/1), with a single field of basketwork and pseudo-inlays on Market Lavington, grave 24 (Wilts) and Thame (Oxon) (PAS BUC-B62550) and with a single field of basketwork but no pseudo-inlays on Wheatley g26, Oxon. I think you can see from this list that Stadhampton fits very nicely into the distribution.'