DetectingWales.com

I thought I would share my good news, I was moaning earlier on, like several weeks back, as to why my treasure case is taking so long, it turns out, after asking, a report has already been written on my Bronze Age Hoard and it's being considered, or at least interest has been shown by both the British Museum as well as North Somerset Museum in obtaining it, so delighted! The report was ready back in January, but it's only that I asked that they will be sending me further paperwork for it, explaining everthing inlcuding what I pasted below, and I thought I would share the details, it's also slightly older than I thought too, I was expecting it to be maybe 800 - 1000BC:

Description:
1. Copper alloy side-looped palstave, Transitional Type. The palstave has high petal shaped flanges, and three ribs which run from the centre of the stop ridge, and end approximately a quarter of the way down the blade in a triangular/trident shape, roughly parallel to the end of the side-loop. The body of the palstave is narrow but widens down the blade eventually flaring at the cutting edge. The septum is covered with mud, and the patina is grey with flecks of orange. The surface of the palstave is chipped at the cutting edge, and heavily corroded and bulbous on one of the blade faces, beneath the stop ridge and on the un-looped blade side.
Weight: 520.6g, Max Length: 163.54mm, Max Width: 60.43mm

2. Copper alloy, side-looped palstave, Transitional Type. The palstave has high petal shaped flanges and the potential remains of a rib extending down the blade face from the stop ridge, which has been heavily corroded. The body of the palstave is narrow but widens down the blade eventually flaring at the cutting edge. The butt is squared and the blade facet has a chip on it. The patina is grey and white, and there is a large orange coloured section beneath the stop ridge, and the surface of the palstave is uneven and bulbous is places.
Weight: 492.8g, Max Length 162.60mm, Max Width: 61.48mm

3. Copper alloy socketed hammer. The socketed hammer has a single ridge moulding around the socket mouth, and four ribs which run down the body of the hammer and form a triangular shape. On one side of the hammer is a protruding spike.
Weight: 153.1g, Max Length: 72.58mm Max Width: 27.97mm, Length of spike: 10.88mm

Discussion: The two Transitonal Type side-looped palstaves are dated to the Penard (c. 1300-1150 BC) metalwork phase of the Middle Bronze Age (Schmidt and Burgess 1981, 146). This is a broad group which has been sub-classified in northern Britain (Schmidt and Burgess 1981, 45-151) but not yet in southern Britain. The two palstaves can be locally paralleled to the trident decorated side-looped Transitional Type palstave of North Curry, Somerset (Pearce 1983, 519).

The socketed hammer also dates the hoard to the Middle Bronze Age Penard (c. 1300-1150 BC) metalwork phase. The hammer does not fall into the Type I or Type II major types of hammer as although it has the mouth moulding of a Type I hammer, the body is not short and squat, nor does it have a slender and parallel body which is typical of a Type II hammer. (Coombs 1971, 275).

However, the decoration of the socketed hammer is reminiscent of Type Gwithian socketed axes, displaying similar features such as the three ribs descending from the underside of a single mouth moulding, that converge sharply (Schmidt and Burgess 1981, 173). A mould for a Type Gwithian socketed axe with similar decorations was found at the Gwithian settlement in Cornwall (Schmidt and Burgess 1981, 174).

Alternatively the socketed hammer may have functioned as a small portable anvil or "stake" (the socket used to attach the object to a wooden stake in the ground), (Evan's 1881, 181), suggesting that the unusual spike on the side of the object (where a loop would be) may have served as a small anvil beak. The hoard could then be compared to the contemporary Flax Bourton hoard in Somerset, where a large anvil was found together with a palstave (Ehrenberg 1981, 23).

nice read well done on the find

Lovely finds, well done. Great report as well, very interesting.

Well done Jon, pleased for you mate. keep us updated ;)

Nice read.. Well done.

I got a letter for the date of the Inquest today :) Has anybody been to one and how long do they normally take? Is it advisable to go? Looks like it wont be long now before they are in the museum :)

I have been fortunate enough to go to one John - its a great experience - you definately need to go! You will probably find the judge is genuinely interested, and may ask you several questions about the find, where you found it, what you think of it, etc.

Also be prepared to potentially talk to the odd reporter who is hanging around - I had to. Remember, if they ask, your name is Paul the vexatious blogger with incredibly itchy underpants! ;D       I give that 30 minutes, before Paul re-posts it! :)

Neil

Well done mate I too have to goto the coroner's office on Thursday 12th April to give evidence with my 16c Silver Clothes fastener ;)
Nervous ;D ;D
TF

GREAT NEWS MR TALBOT.keep up the good work mucker. ;D

Thanks for the feedback everyone, especially Neil, made me excited now :) My date is a week after yours Ferret, also on a Thursday. I will be able to find out how you got on with yours before I go. Thanks Ray - just don't hoover up all the hammereds like I said earlier :)

Hi Everybody,

My small Bronze Age Hoard is going through valuation process and they have come back with a figure. I'm not going to say what the figure is, for now, but I would like as many knowledgeable people to comment on what they think the items would be worth/fetch at auction etc.

The hoard consists of two Bronze Age Palstave Axes and a Socket-ed Hammer, all from the Middle Bronze Age.

I will be grateful for any comments made. I will post the figure at a later date so people can see how close they were to the correct amount, given by the person in the valuation process.

Regards,
Jon

I've been to a few, I would say the TVC has put a valuation of between £450- £600 maximum. That's if the sun is shining, all the committee members had won the Euro millions that day, and they were feeling generous. ;D

If you get chance go to the inquest because there will probably be reporters there. Depending on what else is at inquest on the day you may get asked if they can report your case in the local paper. In 2006 I had a report on three saxon sceats printed in two well circulated newspapers. The reports on my case were accurately covered and they put in a lot of what I asked for 'looking for land' etc. I didn't get the hoped for farms but on a different day who knows. It was definitely worth a shot. Also if you tell them you are 10 years younger they will print it!!

Bit late for that Ian it's at the valuation stage, the inquest has been and gone. I would think Steve is bang on the money with the £450-600.

Duh! See what you mean Chef. 'After the horse has bolted' springs to mind. I will read more carefully in future before posting!!