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Middle Bronze Age bronze pin
Middle Bronze Age bronze pin
These are two joining fragments of a near-complete bronze pin with a distinct swelling near the upper head-end. Although now damaged, the head was originally circular in plan shape with a dished upper surface. The pin tapers towards its lower end, the tip having been broken off. Near the end-break the pin is bent, suggesting it may have been deliberately broken with force, before burial.
The pin is identified as one of a known Middle Bronze Age form with a characteristic swollen shaft near the head. They are more widely found across southern England and are also closely allied with Picardy pins, found across northern France. These large pins, sometimes decorated, were dress pins, used to secure together items of clothing at this tim as well as acting as personal items of adornment showing the identity and status of their wearer.
Dyma ddau ddarn cyfunol o bin efydd sydd bron yn gyflawn, gyda chwydd amlwg ger y pen uchaf. Er ei fod wedi’i ddifrodi bellach, roedd y pen yn gylchog yn wreiddiol gydag arwyneb uchaf dysglog. Mae’r pin yn meinhau tua’i ben isaf, ac mae’r blaen wedi’i dorri i ffwrdd. Mae’r pin wedi plygu ger y man hwn, sy’n awgrymu efallai y cafodd ei dorri’n fwriadol, cyn claddu.
Mae’r pin yn un adnabyddus o Ganol yr Oes Efydd gyda choes chwyddedig nodweddiadol ger y pen. Mae’r rhain yn fwy cyffredin yn ne Lloegr ac mae ganddyn nhw gysylltiad agos â phinnau Picardy, sydd i’w gweld yng ngogledd Ffrainc. Pinnau gwisg oedd y pinnau mawr hyn, a oedd wedi’u haddurno weithiau, ac roeddent yn cael eu defnyddio i ddal eitemau o ddillad yn sownd wrth ei gilydd ar yr adeg hon, yn ogystal â bod yn eitemau addurnol personol a oedd yn dangos pwy oedd y sawl oedd yn eu gwisgo a’i statws.
This rich and varied group of bronze and gold objects was once carefully buried together as a hoard group. Dating to the Middle Bronze Age (1400-1275 BCE) it includes fragments from at least two twisted bronze neck-rings, a variety of bronze and gold bracelets and a large bronze dress-pin, also buried with a bronze dagger and a palstave axe. A first for Wales, similar ornaments and hoards have been found across southern England and northern France. This suggests that the original wearer maintained long-distance cultural connections and shared common stylistic trends.
Cafodd y gwrthrychau efydd ac aur cyfoethog ac amrywiol hyn eu claddu gyda’i gilydd yn ofalus fel celc ar un adeg. Maen nhw’n dyddio o Ganol yr Oes Efydd (1400-1275 CC) ac yn cynnwys darnau o ddwy dorch efydd droellog o leiaf, amrywiaeth o freichledau efydd ac aur a phin gwisg efydd mawr, a oedd hefyd wedi’u claddu gyda dagr efydd a bwyell balstaf. Dyma’r tro cyntaf i dlysau a chelc o’r fath gael eu canfod yng Nghymru, ond mae rhai tebyg wedi’u canfod yn ne Lloegr a gogledd Ffrainc. Mae hyn yn awgrymu bod y sawl a oedd yn eu gwisgo’n wreiddiol yn cynnal cysylltiadau diwylliannol ar draws pellter hir ac yn rhannu steil gyffredin.
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION Swollen-shaft / Picardy related pin (conjoining fragments). Two conjoining fragments of a largely complete bronze pin, with a distinct swelling evident on the upper shaft. The head of the pin is damaged around its sides, although the original form appears to have been an expanded circle in plan with a dished and concave profile, with no evidence of decoration. Immediately beneath the head, the shaft is 5.2mm at narrowest, swelling to 7.4mm at widest. The shank tapers towards the tip end, however the tip of the pin is missing, the break being soil covered and worn. Near the broken tip (the lower 9-10mm), the shank has been significantly bent, leaving expanded stress lines on the outer side, opposite to the direction of bending. The pin is undecorated and there is no visible evidence of a perforation through the neck. The conjoining breaks are soil covered and not particularly fresh looking, however the join is certain and convincing. The pin has localised areas of corrosion and pitting along surfaces and breaks. Original surfaces have a dark grey-green patination, while corroded surfaces have a lighter green patina.
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Find Information
Site Name: Llantrisant Fawr, Monmouthshire
Notes: The hoard was discovered in 2013 by Phillip Turton, while he was metal-detecting on farm land under pasture, in Llantrisant Fawr Community, Monmouthshire. He responsibly reported the discovery and findspot to the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales as a treasure find. With the help of the finder, an archaeological investigation of the findspot was undertaken by museum archaeologists in 2013. The hoard was subsequently declared to be treasure by the Coroner for Gwent in 2015. It was later acquired in 2016 for the national collection, with the help of grant funding provided by the Saving Treasures; Telling Stories project (Collecting Cultures Programme) funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Cafodd y celc ei ddarganfod yn 2013 gan Phillip Turton, wrth iddo ddefnyddio datgelydd metel ar dir pori yng Nghymuned Llantrisant Fawr, Sir Fynwy. Yn gyfrifol iawn, fe roddodd wybod i’r Cynllun Henebion Cludadwy yng Nghymru am y trysor a’r man lle’r oedd wedi’i ddarganfod. Gyda’i gymorth ef, fe gynhaliodd archaeolegwyr yr amgueddfa ymchwiliad archaeolegol o’r man darganfod yn 2013. Wedi hynny, cafodd y celc ei gyhoeddi’n drysor gan Grwner Gwent yn 2015. Yn ddiweddarach, cafodd ei brynu yn 2016 ar gyfer y casgliad cenedlaethol, gyda chymorth cyllid grant gan y prosiect Hel Trysor; Her Straeon (y Rhaglen Casglu Diwylliannau) sy’n cael ei ariannu trwy Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol. The artefacts were discovered in a dispersed scatter over a distance of 55m, though with a central focus. An archaeological investigation of the find-spot was undertaken by Adam Gwilt and Mark Lodwick on 26th September 2013, confirming the find-spots and burial focus. The burial focus was located at the top of a low hill plateau with good views up and down the Usk Valley. The scattered find-spots extending downslope, suggesting more dispersal of the hoard, probably in recent times.