Monument Type(s):

• FINDSPOT (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC) + Sci.Date

Summary

Two to three hundred bronze spearheads, plus a few ferrules, sword fragments and miscellaneous pieces were found in 1867. The chief feature of the hoard are the Late Bronze Age barbed spearheads.

Related records

Associated Finds

• FSA605 - ARMLET (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA606 - CHISEL (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA1720 - FERRULE (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA1006 - HOARD (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA2433 - MACE (Early Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 1600 BC)
• FSA608 - SCABBARD (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA1342 - SPEAR (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA1343 - SPEAR (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA1344 - SPEAR (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA155 - SPEAR (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA156 - SPEAR (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA1719 - SPEAR (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA609 - SPEAR (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA607 - SWORD (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA1721 - UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Bronze Age - 2600 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA2434 - GOUGE (Middle Bronze Age to Late Bronze Age - 1210 BC to 1010 BC)
• FSA2436 - BRACELET (Late Bronze Age - 1200 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA2435 - SHERD (Late Bronze Age - 1200 BC to 700 BC)
• FSA610 - VESSEL (Early Iron Age to Roman - 800 BC to 409 AD)
• FSA2432 - DAGGER (16th century to 17th century - 1540 AD to 1640 AD)

Associated Events

• ESA758 - 1973 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA7064 - 2010 Excavation of the Broadward Hoard / Barrow, S of Broadward Hall by University of Worcester
• ESA7066 - 2010 topographic survey S of Broadward Hall by University of Worcester

Description

Miss E A Overton of Leintwardine has a bronze spearhead. Left the district many years ago <1a>

Two to three hundred bronze spearheads, plus a few ferrules, sword fragments and miscellaneous pieces were found in a field called Little Moor on 30 July 1867. Also found were numerous animal bones and a Romano-British lattice decorated pot. <6>
The chief feature of the hoard are the barbed spearheads which are seen as a Late Bronze Age development of the Wilburton complex of SE England. It is thought that they were merely ceremonial in function <6>

A second discovery, possibly part of the same hoard, may have been made sometime before 1912-13. <7>

Presented to the British Museum by Sir A W Franks <8>

Aerial photographs were taken during excavation of the hoard/barrow site in 2010, when the excavation trenches were open. <14><15>

Article on the excavations at the Broadward hoard site, carried out by University of Worcester in 2010. ->

-> ...In 1867 a large hoard of metalwork was found during drainage and water management in a field known as ‘Lower Moor’ at Broadward Hall, on the Shropshire–Herefordshire border. When the work was carried out, a concreted mass of metal was discovered, broken apart and found to comprise numerous bronze artefacts, including at least fifty-three spearheads, eleven fragments belonging to at least two leaf-shaped swords, five ferrules, two ‘bugle-shaped objects’, a tanged chisel, a chape and part of a tubular armlet or ring. The collection was subsequently dispersed: seventy-six implements were presented to the British Museum, but a box of finds kept at the Hall has since disappeared. It seems possible that a second group of objects was found in 1912–13, but nothing is known about them. Even so, it is likely that the hoard originally contained more than 100 objects. ->

-> Fieldwork was carried out in 2010 to elucidate the position and context of the hoard, and to investigate a nearby enclosure [PRN 01169]. Two spearheads from the hoard held by the British Museum retained fragments of ash hafts within their sockets. Samples of the wood were submitted to the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC) for radiocarbon dating. They returned the following dates:
2740 ±30 BP; 980–830 BC cal BC at 94.5 per cent confidence level (GU-26038) Almost complete barbed spearhead, acc. no. 1902, 0515,1
2760 ± 30 BP; 940–820 BC cal BC at 94.5 per cent confidence level (GU-26039) Fragmentary spearhead socket of the same type, acc. no. 1902, 0519,9 ->

-> The context of the findspot was recorded as a peat-filled hollow, containing animal bones and other artefacts. A pit containing a bone gouge with a radiocarbon date in the Middle to Late Bronze Age was cut by a Victorian well. With the exception of the bone gouge, a Late Bronze Age sherd and possibly a shale bracelet, the remaining artefacts found in 2010 relate to other phases in the history of the spring and its surroundings. The same is the case with all the animal bones submitted for radiocarbon dating. ->

-> The excavation successfully recorded the original findspot, which matched with descriptions given of the original find. The environmental evidence suggests that a spring did exist here in the prehistoric period, with deposition focused on the spring. ->

-> Report includes pollen analysis and detailed analysis of environmental history, assessment of faunal remains, cremated bone, radiocarbon dating and small find reports on a wooden knife/dagger, a macehead, bone gouge, possible shale bracelet, and clay weight. <16>

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.