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Summary

Three gold bracelets and a small folded sheet of gold were found near Colaton Raleigh in 1986. Two of the bracelets are formed from flat bands of metal, the terminals simply being folded over. The third is worked from a rod of D-shaped section, with expanded terminals. Both types are characteristic of the Late Bronze Age.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NE/162

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FINDSPOT (Prehistoric - 698000 BC to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Timms, S. C., 1986, Archaeology (Correspondence). SDV351872.

Three gold bracelets found on Woodbury Common are shortly to be the subject of a Coroner's Hearing on Treasure Trove. A small site investigation has been requested as part of the legal procedure.

Needham, S. P., 1986, Potential Treasure Trove: Three Gold Bracelets from Colaton Raleigh, Devon (Un-published). SDV351889.

Three gold bracelets were spotted protruding from the ground surface on Colaton Raleigh Common. They apparently lay one inside another. Two were of simple form with a plain flat band outwardly coiled to make terminals. The coils are not particularly neatly fashioned, and are very tight on no. 1. This bracelet also retains thin folds of metal deriving from the forging process. the other has a slender D-section, and thickens outwards to somewhat swollen terminals, still D-sectioned and with slightly bowed faces. They can be assigned with confidence to the Late Bronze Age, circa 1000-650BC.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, The Investigation of the Findspot of Three Gold Armlets: Colaton Raleigh Common (Un-published). SDV112823.

Excavation could not determine whether the artefacts were lost in transit or deliberately buried.

Allan, J. + Timms, S. C., 1996, Treasures of Ancient Devon, 14, photo (Monograph). SDV322592.

Three gold bracelets and a small folded sheet of gold found near Colaton Raleigh in 1986. The bracelets are of two sorts. Two are formed from flat bands of metal, the terminals simply being folded over. The third is worked from a rod of D-shaped section, with expanded terminals. Both types are characteristic of the Late Bronze Age; they are datable to circa 1000-650BC. Upon close inspection faint vertical ribbing and minor areas of raggedness can be seen on the inner faces of the flat-sectioned bracelets, suggesting that these remain unfinished. The presence of a small folded fragment of gold might also indicate that this is a smith's hoard. A small excavation on the site of the find showed that the original burial place had been disturbed in antiquity.

Taylor, J. J., 1999, The Colaton Raleigh gold bracelet hoard and its significance to the interpretation of the later Bronze Age, 205-218 (Article in Serial). SDV112822.

Article discussing comparable hoards of gold bracelets found in non-funerary contexts often vaguely associated with Late Bronze Age settlements. The bracelets show heavy wear but the clipped gold fragment shows no wear. The distribution of these artefacts seems limited to the west of Europe and mostly occur in south-west Britain.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 1929 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Hoard containing 3 gold bracelets and folded sheet of gold found in 1986.
SMR.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds

• FDV4322 - ORNAMENT (Lower Palaeolithic to Unknown - 698000 BC)

Associated Events: none recorded

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