Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Middle Bronze Age gold bracelet

This is a complete gold bracelet made from six twisted gold wires aligned next to each other lengthways, soldered intermittently to adjacent wires. Together, these wires form a narrow band that was tightly coiled in two concentric spirals with a projecting 'tail', to fit it into a pottery vessel, in which it was buried with associated artefacts. At each end is an angular flat-ended gold terminal enclosing the ends of the gold wires. Originally, this would have formed a bracelet about 4.8-6.0cm in diameter, with a probable gap between the ends.

Twisted gold wire bracelet, 1300-1150 BCE. Wales was at the heart of a tradition of gold-working in Atlantic Europe during the Middle Bronze Age. This bracelet was among objects found in a pottery vessel at Burton near the River Alun. It is made of six twisted gold wires.

Project Title: Gold in Britain’s auriferous regions, 2450-800 BC: towards a coherent Research Framework and Strategy. Status: Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Network Grant funded project (2018-2019)

WA_SC 18.1

Collection Area

Archaeology & Numismatics

Item Number

2005.68H/2

Find Information

Site Name: Burton, Wrexham

Collection Method: metal detector

Notes: Hoard. A hoard of fourteen gold, bronze and ceramic objects were found while metal-detecting in January 2004 in a recently ploughed field in the flood plain of the River Alun at Burton, near Wrexham. Thirteen of these objects were found within a 1.5-2m square area, while a fourteenth was found 24m away. All objects were found 5-20cm below the ground. Subsequently a small archaeological test pit was excavated, which clarified the location of some of the objects. It is possible the objects were deposited within a small ceramic vessel, though only a sherd of this still survives. Two further gold objects were found while metal-detecting in August 2007 a few metres from the hoard findspot and were deemed to also be part of this hoard.

Acquisition

Treasure (1996 Treasure Act), 14/10/2005

Measurements

weight / g:11.13
length / mm:48.7 (coiled)
height / mm:25.8 (coiled)
width / mm:6.7

Material

gold

Location

St Fagans Wales Is gallery : Gold

Collections Online is updated regularly, but please confirm that an object remains on display before making a special visit.

Comments are currently unavailable. We apologise for the inconvenience.