Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

An assemblage of Anglo Saxon grave goods was acquired by the British Museum in 1879, the assemblage includes a fine composite brooch (TR 34 SW 148), a small group of beads and other personal ornaments. It is likely that these came from the same grave, which was part of a known Anglo Saxon cemetery on Priory Hill, Dover, though the circumstances of their discovery is unknown. (location accurate to the nearest 100m based on available information)

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)

Associated Finds

• BEAD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)
• BRACELET (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)
• MELON BEAD (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)
• RING (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 699 AD)

Full description

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An assemblage of Anglo Saxon Grave goods was acquired by the British Museum in 1879, the assemblage includes a fine composite brooch (TR 34 SW 148), a small group of beads and other personal ornaments. It is likely that these came from the same grave, which was part of a known Anglo Saxon cemetery on Priory Hill, Dover, though the circumstances of their discovery is unknown.

It is likely that the discovery of this assemblage is linked to the work on the services and the earlier houses of Priory Hill which was almost certainly then in progress. Alongside the brooch which is discussed in detail in the HER record TR 34 SW 148, the assemblage includes; a damaged silver wire bangle, a silver wire slip knot ring with two small opaque green glass beads, four amethyst beads (two are long and wedge shaped, one small and wedge shaped and the other tear shaped), a melon bead, an opaque red glass bead with horizontal yellow trails, quatrefoil in section and an opaque red glass barrel shaped bead. The beads are difficult to date because of the durability of many types, though the amethyst beads are typically 7th century in date. Among the assemblage the melon bead stands out due to its probable Roman date, though such survivals are common in 7th century graves. The silver wire ring with beads is probably from a necklace and is of a type with a long life, similar examples have been found in graves dating to the mid-6th and later 7th centuries. The silver bangle is also compatible with a 7th century date. (1-2)

<1> S. E. Rigold and L. E. Webster, Archaeologia Cantiana: Three Anglo Saxon Disk Brooches. Vol 85 (Article in serial). SKE31917.

<2> The British Museum, British Museum online collection, Museum numbers 1879, 1013.2-9 (Website). SKE32302.

Sources and further reading

Related records