Bronze Age and Medieval finds in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire declared treasure

Bronze Age axes and a gold ring found in Pembrokeshire, and a medieval coin hoard that was discovered in Carmarthenshire have been declared treasure

The items were officially designated treasure on Friday 22 March 2024 by H.M. Coroner for Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Mr. Paul Bennett.

A hoard of two bronze flat-axes (Treasure Case 23.58) was discovered by David Brown, Barry Johnson and Kerry Johnson on Saturday 7 October 2023 while metal-detecting on a field in Penally Community, Pembrokeshire.

The find was first reported to Adelle Bricking, Finds Reporting Officer of the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales (PAS Cymru).

These two early bronze implements are dated to the Early Bronze Age and were made around 2000-1900 BC, around four thousand years ago.

“Mind blowing”

The finders, David Brown, Barry Johnson and Kerry Johnson said: “We feel extremely honoured to have stumbled onto such an important part of Welsh history.

“To think of humans 4000 years ago having the knowledge of mixing tin and copper to make these life essential tools is mind blowing”.

David Llewellyn, Curator of Tenby Museum and Art Gallery said: “Tenby Museum and Art Gallery have noted with great interested this fantastic and nationally important discovery.

“It’s something that we hope to be able to secure for our extensive existing Archaeological collection from the local area that provided the foundation for the original establishment of the Museum.

“Finds such as this help us so much in our objectives of preserving, interpreting and sharing the story of Tenby and the surrounding area.”

Tenby Museum & Art Gallery has expressed an interest in acquiring this artefact for its collection after it has been independently valued by via the Treasure Valuation Committee.

Adam Gwilt, Principal Curator for Prehistory at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales said: “This pairing of bronze axes of slender and flaring form, once secured to wooden handles as wood cutting tools, is a significant new discovery for Wales.

“It provides us with important new information about Early Bronze Age people and communities.

“Around the time of Stonehenge, long-distance connections were being maintained by people moving between ceremonial and burial landscapes.

“These carefully placed objects give us a grounded Pembrokeshire connection with this world.”

A gold penannular ring (Treasure Case 23.51) was discovered by Craig Smithson on 11 September 2023 while metal-detecting on a field in Llangadog Community, Carmarthenshire.

The find was handed in for treasure reporting to Felicity Sage, the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales contact (PAS Cymru), based at the Dyfed Regional office of Heneb – The Trust for Welsh Archaeology. The gold ring may have been a hair or ear adornment and dates to the Later Bronze Age (1300-800 BC).

“Once in a lifetime find”

Finder, Craig Smithson said: “I have been metal detecting on this field for approximately four years. This was a once in a lifetime find for me.

“I was so glad to have been the custodian of the penannular ring for the few days that I was lucky enough to have held it.”

Adam Gwilt, Principal Curator for Prehistory at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales said: “This gold ring is an example of a hair-ring, a form of jewellery favoured by farming and metalworking communities across Britain and Ireland around 3,000 years ago.

“Analysis has shown this to be made of a high-quality gold, with some silver and copper also present.

“A precious possession, it would have signalled the high standing of the man or woman who once wore it. Its discovery also adds to our understanding of the making skills of Bronze Age goldworkers in Wales.”

Great potential

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism – Cllr Hazel Evans said: “The collaboration between metal detectorists, PAS Cymru and Amgueddfa Cymru is revealing hidden histories and helping change the way we understand our ancestors.

“This extraordinary gold ring expands Carmarthenshire’s Bronze Age story. Sometimes the smallest of objects hold the greatest potential to reveal our past and CofGâr is exploring new methods to bring to life Bronze Age Carmarthenshire for today’s audiences.”

CofGâr, Carmarthenshire County Council’s Museums & Art Service has expressed an interest in acquiring this artefact for its collection after it has been independently valued by via the Treasure Valuation Committee.

A coin hoard of 23 medieval silver pennies (Treasure Case 23.52) was discovered by Howard James, while metal detecting in Llanddarog Community, Carmarthenshire in September 2023.

The coins were minted between 1248 and 1265 during the reign of Henry III (1216-1272).

The hoard was probably buried for safekeeping in the 1260s or 1270s, a turbulent but significant time in Wales’s history. In 1267, having successfully fought against Henry III and the Marcher Lords, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd became the first and last Welsh ruler to be officially recognised as Prince of Wales by an English ruler

Only a few years later however, Wales was completely conquered by Henry’s son Edward I in 1283.

Alastair Willis, Senior Curator of Numismatics and the Welsh Economy at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales said: “The hoard was buried against a backdrop of conflict and uncertainty in Carmarthenshire, which was contested by the princes of Gwynedd and the Marcher Lords in the 13th century. The burial of this hoard shows how some people may have reacted to these difficult times.”

CofGâr, Carmarthenshire County Council’s Museums & Art Service has expressed an interest in acquiring this coin hoard for its collection after it has been independently valued by via the Treasure Valuation Committee.

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