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HER Number:MDV4365
Name:Bronze dirk found at Broadall Head, River Yealm

Summary

A bronze dirk was found in 1892 buried under two feet of peat at Broadall Head (SX 607639). Described as 'singularly perfect bronze lance head', very slender and sharp pointed and with a flattened tang, it measured 4 inches long, and maximum 0.75 inches wide. Mostly encrusted with a hard, smooth substance, it is now in Exeter City Museum.

Location

Grid Reference:SX 605 638
Map Sheet:SX66SW
Admin AreaDartmoor National Park
Civil ParishCornwood
DistrictSouth Hams
Ecclesiastical ParishCORNWOOD

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

  • National Monuments Record: SX66SW62
  • National Monuments Record: SX66SW98
  • National Record of the Historic Environment: 442358
  • National Record of the Historic Environment: 901439
  • Old DCC SMR Ref: MDV4363
  • Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/101
  • Old DCC SMR Ref: SX66SW/103

Monument Type(s) and Dates

  • FINDSPOT (Constructed, Middle Bronze Age to Late Bronze Age - 1500 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, SX66SW62 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV156104.

A bronze dirk found in 1892 under two feet of peat at Broadall Head. Measures 11cms long (Ordnance Survey citing Worth). Possibly the same as SX66SW/101 (rb).

Worth, R. N., 1893, 17th Report of the Committee on Scientific Memoranda, 173 (Article in Serial). SDV156105.

A 'singularly perfect bronze lance head' was found in 1892 buried under two feet of peat on the high land between the valleys of the Plym and Yealm, near Broadall Head (SX 607639). It is very slender and sharp pointed and with the flattened tang, is 4 inches long, maximum 0.75 inch wide at its widest. Mostly encrusted with a hard, smooth substance. Now in the possession of Mr Hearder, Plymouth.
Mr R. H. Worth has also found several well made flint implements in the immediate locality of this lance head.

Fox, A., 1952, Nineteenth Report on the Archaeology and Early History of Devon, 245, plate (Article in Serial). SDV336876.

Near Broadall Head. Fine bronze lance head found buried 600mm deep in peat on the high land between the valleys of the Plym and the Yealm. Slender and sharp pointed, with flattened tang. The greater portion of it is coated a hard, smooth substance, probably incrustation (Fox, citing TDA 1893 article).

Fox, A., 1954, Excavations at Kestor, 37 (Article in Serial). SDV304231.

Pearce, S. M., 1978, Devon in Prehistory, No. 38 (Monograph). SDV273286.

A Bronze Age tanged knife found at Broadall, SX6?45639, is in Exeter City Museum, Acc No. 249/1970.

Pearce, S. M., 1979, The Distribution and Production of Bronze Age Metalwork, 142 (Article in Serial). SDV322230.

A dirk of middle and late Bronze Age date. Found under peat at Broadall Head, River Yealm, two feet down.

Pearce, S. M., 1983, The Bronze Age Metalwork of South Western Britain, 439 (BAR 120) (Monograph). SDV341822.

Blade of rapier type, wide mid-rib, two notches on hilt plate. Length 102mm, blade width 18mm.

Ordnance Survey, 2024, Mastermap 2024 (Cartographic). SDV365834.

'Broadall Head' marked at SX 6058 6391 on the modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV156104Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. SX66SW62. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Unknown.
SDV156105Article in Serial: Worth, R. N.. 1893. 17th Report of the Committee on Scientific Memoranda. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 25. Digital. 173.
SDV273286Monograph: Pearce, S. M.. 1978. Devon in Prehistory. Devon in Prehistory. Paperback Volume. No. 38.
SDV304231Article in Serial: Fox, A.. 1954. Excavations at Kestor. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 86. Paperback Volume. 37.
SDV322230Article in Serial: Pearce, S. M.. 1979. The Distribution and Production of Bronze Age Metalwork. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 37. 142.
SDV336876Article in Serial: Fox, A.. 1952. Nineteenth Report on the Archaeology and Early History of Devon. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 84. A5 Paperback. 245, plate.
SDV341822Monograph: Pearce, S. M.. 1983. The Bronze Age Metalwork of South Western Britain. British Archaeological Reports. 120. Photocopy. 439 (BAR 120).
SDV365834Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2024. Mastermap 2024. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #26169 ]

Associated Monuments

MDV27913Related to: Streamworks on Penn Moor, Cornwood (Monument)

Associated Finds

  • FDV8402 - TOOL (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Bronze Age - 698000 BC to 701 BC)
  • FDV3176 - DIRK (Middle Bronze Age to Late Bronze Age - 1500 BC to 701 BC)
  • FDV7742 - LANCE (Middle Bronze Age to Late Bronze Age - 1500 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Events: none recorded


Date Last Edited:Jan 23 2024 3:44PM