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Late Iron Age copper alloy bridle bit link
Copper alloy fluted bridle link fragments form a two-link bridle bit with Polden Hill subtype affinities. Half link fragment with missing ring ends.
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Site Name: South Pembrokeshire, Pembrokeshire
Notes: GRID REFERENCE TO BE TREATED AS CONFINDENTIAL. The large horse brooch and decorated rectangular harness mount (1 & 7) were found in a single metal-detector pit at a reported depth of 55cm. The large decorated terret, bridle-bit terminal and complete bridle-ring (2, 4, 5) were found in a second detector pit approximately 1.2m to the east of the first at a reported depth of 45-50cm. The quadrilobed strap-union (3) was dsturbed and had dispersed into ploughsoil approximatley 9m away from the detector pits and was found at a depth of 5-8cm. The half bridle-ring (6) was also disturbed and dispersed into ploughsoil approximately 9m away from the detector pits and found at a depth of 15cm. During a preliminary archaeological excavation in June 2018, undertaken by DAT and AC-NMW staff further fragments of associatd objects were discovered within the excvated back-fill of the metal-detector pits (8-10 &15), dispersed within the lower ploughsoil(11 &16) and in the upper fills of two rock-cut slots containing the tyres of two chariot wheels (samples 1 and 2). This excavation revealed an Iron Age chariot grave at the centre of a penannular shaped ditch (10m internal diameter) representing the form of a possible mortuary enclosure and burial monument.