Iron Age bracelet fragment

Just a quick post really to highlight a nice find I’ve had recorded with me recently. Although it is not complete, in fact it is probably less than a quarter of the original item, this fragment of an Iron Age bracelet is a really exciting find!

Cast copper alloy part of a collar or knobbed bracelet of Late Hallstatt or early La Tene date (800-350BC). It consists of three raised solid domes, linked together in a line, slightly curved and flat on the reverse. The left-hand side dome/knob (as on the photograph) has the remains of a circular cross-section stud or shaft which would have attached this section of the collar or bracelet to other sections. The right-hand side dome/knob has a central groove at the end which widens and goes from top to bottom and then runs along to the middle of the base of this section. It also has a circular hole one each side which would have held a bar. This end of the bracelet would have been the fastening end which would have attached the other end. The fragment is in good condition with a fairly consistent dark green patina.

Adam Gwilt of National Museums and Galleries Wales kindly looked at this image and has commented ‘ There is a good group of these knobbed bracelets in:- Cunliffe, B. (1988) Mount Batten Plymouth; A Prehistoric and Roman Port, Oxford: OUCA Monograph No. 26. pages 61-2.Peter Northover has analysed them and there is a discussion of parallels including Clynnog, South Ferriby, Lincs, Scarborough, Yorks, Raisthorpe, Cowlam, Arras and Cold Citchen Hill Wiltshire and many parallels in west central Europe (eg cemetery at Hallstatt itself in Austria). They are rare in Britain. Cat No 50 in the report would appear to have a very similar perforated terminal. ‘

It is recorded on the PAS database as DUR-F3F8C4