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A metal-detectorist has discovered a hoard of Roman bronze objects in the Chilterns, Buckinghamshire, including a rare rattle that may have been used in religious ceremonies (below centre).
Adam McClelland was detecting with the permission of the landowner when he came across the hoard in April and contacted the local Finds Liaison Officer. Buckinghamshire Council then commissioned Oxford Archaeology to carry out a dig on the find site, along with the National Council for Metal Detecting.
This investigation revealed a stone-lined pit measuring approximately 0.5m (1.6ft) wide and 1m (3ft) long, which continued beyond the end of the trench. From this feature, Oxford Archaeology were able to recover the full hoard – two enamelled mounts, a glass gaming counter, a bone die with concentric ring pips (below right), and several other bronze items including the ornate rattle. Although extremely fragile, most of the pieces of this last object were excavated, even the ‘peas’ that went inside it to make the noise. The hoard also contained four miniature votive axes, one with a unique design of a knife scratched into the blade (below left; the objects are not shown to scale). Analysis of environmental samples from the surrounding soil revealed tiny remnants of fabric, suggesting that the hoard may have been deposited in a bag or wrapped in cloth.
The finder and landowner have since donated the hoard to Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury, while a private donor has paid for the costs of its conservation and it is now on display. Sam Mason, CEO of Discover Bucks Museum, said: ‘The way in which the hoard was discovered and reported to the Finds Liaison Officer is a perfect example of how well the Portable Antiquities Scheme can work. Furthermore, the kind donation of the artefacts to the museum and generous donation for the conservation works to be completed mean that the objects can go on display almost immediately.’ For more information on the hoard, search for BUC-D05A89 on the PAS database (https://finds.org.uk).
Text: Kathryn Krakowka / Images: Discover Bucks Museum
