Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Bronze Age gold penannular bracelet was found with two others in Feb 1869 during drainage work in Stag Paddock meadow, Rooting Farm, in Little Chart parish. The bracelet is decorated with terminals straight lined and with a chevron pattern. This find was given to the British Museum. The two bracelets not in the British Museum are almost certainly in the Ashmolean and said to be from 'near Faversham'.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Bronze Age - 2350 BC (at some time) to 701 BC (at some time))

Associated Finds

• BRACELET (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Full description

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A Bronze Age gold penannular bracelet the terminals decorated in a straight line and chevron pattern, now in the British Museum (1) (Acc No 1869-9-20-1) was found with two others in Feb 1869 during drainage work in Stag Paddock meadow, Rooting Farm, in Little Chart parish. The three together weighed 12 3/4oz. on a grocer's scale and one was weighed at 4 1/2oz. troy by a watchmaker. The B.M. specimen weighs 4oz.225gr. The find was declared treasure trove after it had been sold in London and proceedings were taken against the sellers (2) (3) "Stag Paddock" or "Deer Pen" (currently called "Dock Field") is a small pasture field centre TQ 947443. No further information on the find was gained(4). The two bracelets not in the BM are almost certainly in the Ashmolean (Accession Nos. 1927/2954 and 2955, said to be from 'near Faversham'). These were presented in 1927 by Sir Arthur Evans and there is good evidence that his father obtained possession of two of the three from Little Chart. The weights coincide, and the ascription to Faversham instead of Little Chart is explained by falsehood used when the bracelets were sold clandestinely.(5 & 6).

<1> Arch of Kent 1930 114 258 (RF Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE36873.

<2> BM Accession Register (OS Card Reference). SKE38187.

<3> Kentish Express & Ashford News 20.3.1869 17.4.1869 24.4.1869 3.7.1869 (OS Card Reference). SKE45964.

<4> Oral Mr D.M Rogers (Farmer) Rooting Street Farm, Little Chart (OS Card Reference). SKE47954.

<5> F1 CFW 18-FEB-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42631.

<6> Typescript 'Little Chart Kent Gold Bracelets' 1964 (MS Gordon) (OS Card Reference). SKE50691.

<7> Arch Cant 80 1965 200-4 plate (MS Gordon) (OS Card Reference). SKE35685.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 94 SW 6 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4794.

Sources and further reading