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8/2/2019 2012-45 Boughton Malherbe Hoard Excavation Report
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Portable Antiquities Scheme / Kent County Council
Boughton Malherbe Bronze Age Hoard:
Archaeological Site Report
Boughton Malherbe, Maidstone, KentTQ8847149700
Jennifer JacksonJanuary 2012
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Contents
1. Introduction
2. Site Description3. Methodology4. Results5. Discussion6. Acknowledgements7. References
Figures1. The finders discovery2. HER print out of area3. Site Location
4. Plan 1; Finders cut through Hoard Fill (005)5. Plan 2; Cut of Hoard Pit [006]6. Section 1: North East facing Profile of [006]7. Section 2: South West facing Trench Section8. Photo of Finders excavation9. Photo of Finders excavation cutting through Hoard pit fill10. Photo showing remaining piece of the hoard in situ11. Photo showing cut from Hoards deposition12. Image and catalogue of the Hoard 2011 T46413. Geophysical Survey Results
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1. Introduction
A Large Late Bronze Age Hoard was found at TQ8847149700 by two metal
detectorists on the 6th August 2011. The hoard consists of 352 objects including
axes, blade and spear head fragments as well as 7 complete bun ingot (Figure
12). The hoard is going through the Treasure process at the British Museum
where a report has been written and a Treasure inquest has been held (Treasure
number; 2011 T464). It is hoped that the hoard will be acquired by Maidstone
Museum sometime in 2012.
The finders, Mr Nick Hales and Mr Wayne
Coomber found the hoard while metal
detecting. Mr Hales recounted that he
dug down about 12 inches and found a
large circular ingot acting as a lid. All of
the finds where then found under this lid,
tightly packed into a circular hole. Mr
Hales also noted that the hole was lined
with the remaining 6 bun ingots.
Unfortunately few photographs were
taken during the initial excavation; figure
1 was taken on the finders phone.
Figure 1: The finders discovery
2. Site Description
The site is located near Bought Place, Boughton Malherbe, Kent. The Bronze
Age Hoard was found at National Grid reference TQ8847149700. The site is
currently arable land which had been harvested at the time of the discovery.
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Archaeological background
A Historic Environment Record (HER) search of 500m around the site reveals
one site of note. This was the findspot of 2 polished axes of Neolithic and Bronze
Age data in addition to a collection of barbed and tanged leaf-shaped
arrowheads and scrapers found on surface of Riddings Farm, Lenham, by F.
Weeks Esq in 1931. This collection was presented to Maidstone Museum (Acc.
No. 30/1932). No concentrations were noted at the time but the implements were
found scattered over the whole farm
An inspection of aerial photographs shows some geological features within the
field, but nothing of archaeological interest.
Figure 2: HER Print out of area
Just outside of the 500m area one find has been recorded by the Portable
Antiquities Scheme, KENT-755127. This was a Mesolithic flint arrow head, c
8000 to 4000 BC that was recorded in 2003.
http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/48901http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/489018/2/2019 2012-45 Boughton Malherbe Hoard Excavation Report
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3. MethodologyThe location of the excavation was guided by the finder who had marked the
position of the find with a stake. The backfill from the finders excavation (context
001) was first removed and sieved in order to ensure the entire hoard had been
recovered.
Once the backfill was removed a roughly 2x2 meter trench was opened by hand;
the top soil being initially striped off, exposing the finders hole cut into the
subsoil. A thin spread of the original hoard pit fill was excavated, revealing the
cut for the hoard which was recorded.
The trench and the spoil were searched periodically by metal detectors to
maximise the recovery of finds.
A Dumpy level was used to take levels. The trenches were located after
excavation by a total station, provided by Wessex Archaeology.
The trenches were recorded according to techniques outlined in the
Archaeological Manual(MoLAS, 1994).
A magnetometer survey of the site was carried out two weeks after the
excavation. This was done over a grid of nine 20m squares. The results can be
seen in figure 13.
4. Results
The modern plough soil had a thickness of approx 0.24m and was loose mid -
brown sandy loam. Under this was a layer of orange-brown sandy silt subsoil
with frequent inclusions of large angular stones; this had a thickness of approx
0.09m. The natural was yellow-orange sandy clay with regular stone outcrops.
Two small fragments of copper alloy object were recovered from the finders
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backfill. These were reunited with the hoard and are included in Treasure Report
2011 T464.
The finders excavation was found to have cut through though the topsoil, subsoil
and the majority of the hoard fill leaving a thin layer of the hoard fill at the base
and edges; approximately 0.05-0.08m thick. One small copper alloy object was
found to be sill in situ within this fill (figure 10); this object was also reunited with
the hoard and is included in Treasure Report 2011 T464. This fill was removed
revealing an irregularly shaped circular cut of a pit, the base of which was
approximately 0.42m beneath the modern surface. The pit was cut into the
natural layer.
5. Discussion
From remains of the hoard fill it appears that the hoard was deposited in a sub
circular pit, approximately 0.8m in diameter. This pit was cut into the natural but it
was not possible to ascertain where it was cut from because of the finders
intervention and plough damage across the site. Nor was it possible to gather
any evidence as to whether the hoard had been deposited in one event or over a
period of time.
The geophysical survey results were affected by operator error and it is hoped
they can be repeated in the future. From what was gathered however there is a
suggestion of an oval anomaly and possibly some high temperature activity in the
area immediately next to the site of the hoard. There is also another circle and
some possible ditches visible in the survey area. These can be seen in figure 13.
This raises the possibility that the hoard isnt an isolated deposit but may be in
association with more activity on the site.
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6. Acknowledgements
Thank you to the landowners Mr and Mrs Clark for making the site available for
excavation, and the finders Mr Nick Hales and Wayne Coomber for their
participation and reporting of the hoard. Thanks also go Andrew Mayfield, Ben
Croxford, Matt Butler and Karen Dunford for their hard work during the
excavation. Kindest thanks also go to Wessex Archaeology who surveyed in the
trench free of charge.
7. References
Kent Historic Environment Record
Museum of London, 1994 Archaeological Site Manual 3rd edition
8. Figures:
Figure 3: Site Location (Ordinance Survey, Crown Copyright)
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Figure 4:
Figure 5:
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Figure 6:
Figure 7:
Figure 8: Photo showing cut from finders excavation of the hoard after thebackfill had been removed. Facing north east
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Figure 9 Photo showing cut from finders excavation of the hoard cut [002]through subsoil, facing north east.
Figure 10: Photo showing remaining piece of the hoard in situ, small find number3.
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Figure 11: Photo showing cut from the hoards deposition (006), facing northeast.
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Figure 12: 2011 T464, The Boughton Malherbe Hoard
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Figure 13: Geophysical Survey Results.