NHER 60304 (Find Spot record) - Possible Early Saxon cemetery and multi-period finds

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Summary

Metal-detecting between 2014 and 2024 recovered a Roman pottery sherd; Late Iron Age, Roman, medieval and post-medieval coins and a range of other, undated and Late Bronze Age to post-medieval metal objects. These metal finds include an undated copper alloy ring, unusual disc pendant and unidentified object; a Late Bronze Age copper alloy awl; Roman brooches, hair pin and copper alloy linch pin; a Roman/Early Saxon brooch; numerous Early Saxon brooches and a vessel fragment; a Middle/Late Saxon silver wire suspension ring; medieval to post-medieval dress accessories; a medieval probable suspension mount for harness pendant; a medieval/post-medieval weight and vessel fragment and a post-medieval button, part of a toy watch and lead cloth seal. The amount of Early Saxon material recovered from this area suggests it may be the site of a cemetery.

Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Location

Map sheet	TF81SW
Civil Parish	SPORLE WITH PALGRAVE, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full Description

December 2014-January 2015. Metal-detecting. [1].
1 Late Iron Age coin.
Roman brooch.
Post-medieval button and cloth seal.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 10 February 2015.

February-March 2016. Metal-detecting. Site extended to the whole field. [2].
5 Roman coins and a hair pin.
Medieval buckle.
Medieval/post-medieval lead weight.
2 post-medieval coins.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 4 April 2016.

March-April 2016. Metal-detecting. [3].
1 Roman coin.
Post-medieval toy watch fragment.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 1 May 2016.

May 2016. Metal-detecting. [4].
Middle/Late Saxon silver wire suspension ring.
Information from PAS import.
A. Beckham (HES), 4 July 2016.

July-September 2016. Metal-detecting. [5].
Roman/Early Saxon supporting-arm brooch or Stützarmfibel.
Information from PAS import.
E. McDonald (HES), 1 July 2019.

October-November 2016. Metal-detecting. [6].
2 Roman coins.
Early Saxon silver equal-armed brooch and numerous brooch fragments.
Information from PAS import.
The Early Saxon brooch was declared Treasure (Ref: 2016 T1019), and acquired by Norwich Castle Museum.
A. Beckham (HES), 15 December 2016. Amended by E. McDonald (HES), 2 October 2018.

February-April 2017. Metal-detecting. [7].
Undated copper alloy ring and unidentified object.
Early Saxon copper alloy unusal copper alloy disc with keyhole-shaped arpeture, probably a pendant (S1).
Medieval/post-medieval copper alloy vessel fragment.
Information from PAS import.
E. McDonald (HES), 4 May 2017.

August 2017-February 2018. [8].
Early Saxon brooches, including cruciform, annular and great-square-headed variants.
Information from PAS import.
E. McDonald (HES), 1 January 2019.

September 2017. Metal-detecting. [9].
Early Saxon cruciform brooch fragments.
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 20 May 2021.

July-September 2018. Metal-detecting. [10].
Roman finger ring.
Early Saxon brooch.
1 medieval coin.
Medieval/post-medieval silver buckle or brooch pin.
Information from PAS import.
The medieval/post-medieval silver buckle or brooch pin was disclaimed as Treasure (Ref: 2018 T644) and returned to the finder.
E. McDonald (HES), 5 November 2018.

August 2018. Metal-detecting. [11].
Early Saxon brooch fragments.
Information from PAS import.
E. McDonald (HES), 1 August 2020.

October 2019. Metal-detecting. [12].
1 Roman coin, brooch and copper alloy linch pin.
Early Saxon cruciform brooch fragments.
Medieval strap fitting.
Information from PAS imports.
E. McDonald (HES), 1 April 2020 and P. Watkins (HES), 1 January 2021 and 9 September 2023.

April 2020-January 2023. Metal-detecting. [13].
1 Roman pottery sherd.
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 February 2024.

March 2022. Metal-detecting. [12].
Medieval annular brooch or buckle frame.
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 December 2023.

November 2022. Metal-detecting. [12].
Medieval buckle.
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 February 2024.

March 2023. Metal-detecting. [12].
Early Saxon cruciform brooch fragments.
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 11 March 2024.

Before 27 March 2023. Metal-detecting. [12].
1 Late Iron Age coin (silver unit of the Iceni).
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 4 March 2024.

October 2024. Metal-detecting. [12].
Late Bronze Age copper alloy awl.
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 3 July 2025.

December 2024. Metal-detecting. [14].
Medieval probable suspension mount for harness pendant.
Information from PAS import.
P. Watkins (HES), 29 July 2025.

Associated Sources (1)

<S1> SNF100160 Illustration: Gibbons, J. 2018. Drawing of an Early Saxon disc pendant. Find Illustration. Film. 2:1.

Site and Feature Types and Periods (10)

Object Types (72)

AWL (Middle Bronze Age to Late Bronze Age - 1150 BC to 801 BC)
COIN (Late Iron Age - 50 BC to 15 BC)
COIN (Late Iron Age - 10 BC to 42 AD)
RING (Unknown date)
UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Unknown date)
BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 70 AD)
BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 80 AD)
FINGER RING (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
HAIR PIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
LINCH PIN (Roman - 50 AD to 250 AD)
BROOCH (Roman - 60 AD to 130 AD)
COIN (Roman - 69 AD to 260 AD)
COIN (Roman - 75 AD to 76 AD)
POT (Roman - 100 AD to 409 AD)
COIN (Roman - 117 AD to 138 AD)
COIN (Roman - 240 AD to 244 AD)
COIN (Roman - 269 AD to 271 AD)
COIN (Roman - 330 AD to 335 AD)
COIN (Roman - 335 AD to 341 AD)
COIN (Roman - 348 AD to 353 AD)
COIN (Roman - 364 AD to 378 AD)
COIN (Roman - 367 AD to 375 AD)
BROOCH (Roman to Early Saxon - 400 AD to 480 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 410 AD to 500 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 420 AD to 500 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 420 AD to 500 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 420 AD to 500 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 450 AD to 475 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 450 AD to 500 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 450 AD to 550 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 450 AD to 600 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 475 AD to 500 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 475 AD to 550 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 475 AD to 550 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 475 AD to 550 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 475 AD to 560 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 475 AD to 650 AD)
PENDANT (Early Saxon - 475 AD to 550 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 480 AD to 530 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 480 AD to 530 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 480 AD to 550 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 530 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 530 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 540 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 540 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 550 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 550 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 550 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 550 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 550 AD)
SLEEVE CLASP (Early Saxon - 500 AD to 600 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 510 AD to 560 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 525 AD to 570 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 525 AD to 570 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 550 AD to 570 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 550 AD to 575 AD)
BROOCH (Early Saxon - 550 AD to 575 AD)
RING (Early Saxon to Late Saxon - 650 AD to 1000 AD)
STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1150 AD to 1300 AD)
BROOCH (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
BUCKLE (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
HARNESS MOUNT (Medieval - 1200 AD to 1400 AD)
COIN (Medieval - 1248 AD to 1250 AD)
BUCKLE (Medieval to 17th Century - 1250 AD to 1700 AD)
BUCKLE (Medieval - 1300 AD to 1400 AD)
VESSEL (Medieval to 17th Century - 1300 AD to 1700 AD)
WEIGHT (Medieval to 17th Century - 1300 AD to 1700 AD)
COIN (16th Century - 1584 AD to 1587 AD)
BUTTON (16th Century to 17th Century - 1600 AD to 1700 AD)
CLOTH SEAL (16th Century to 18th Century - 1600 AD to 1800 AD)
COIN (17th Century - 1625 AD to 1627 AD)
TOY (17th Century to 18th Century - 1630 AD to 1775 AD)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Aug 31 2025 8:24PM