Findspot record TQ 57 SW 23 - Late Bronze Age founder's hoard

[TQ 5115 7368] Bronze Age founder's hoard. [Approximate siting only - see Authy.3] (1) Late Bronze Age founder's hoard from Mrs. Buckley's sandpit, Bexley Heath, found 1930, 15'-20' below the surface, near the arterial road. Included were 16 complete socketed celts, unornamented, and as many fragments of others, 1 ornamented. A complete copper cake and fragments were also found. All the celts are looped and 5 are illustrated, together with a small socketed implement, a knife, British type (as in the Minster hoard, B.M. Bronze Age Guide, pl. III), a gouge, a spear-head consisting of two pieces that do not belong together, and part of a sword, of late but not the latest type. There are 16 imperfect celts and fragments. The mouths of the celts are square and suggest (like the sword) a late phase of the Bronze Age. [See AO/59/214/8] (2) No information as to the exact provenance is recorded at the B.M. or elsewhere, but I have recently established the find-spot. A workman concerned in the find affirms that the sandpit where the hoard came to light in 1930 was on the west side of Dartford Heath, N.G. Ref. 513737. The Dartford Heath pit fits the description given in (2), the boundary between Bexley and Dartford runs very close at this point, and it is probable that the find was in fact made just inside the Dartford area. Mr. T.C. Buckley, owner of the pit until his death, lived at Bexley Heath, and the mistake in describing the provenance of the hoard may have arisen through this fact. "The main part of the 1930 hoard went to the B.M. soon after discovery and a further 7 axes, a fragment of an axe and a piece of bronze cake, have recently been purchased by the B.M. from a dealer who described them as coming from the same site as the objects from "Bexley Heath" described in Antiquaries Journal XI." (3) Acc. Nos. 1931-3-14-1/29. (4) The sandpit is disused and heavily overgrown. (5) The hoard consisting of 53 items plus 20lb 14 oz of miscellaneous lumps of copper or bronze, came to the BM in two parts, in 1931 and 1936. Full publication including measured drawings, descriptions and comparizons occurred in 1960. (6) Part of the Bexley Heath hoard is apparently in Dartford Museum, a fact not acknowledged by other authorities. (7)

<1> Corr. 6" (P.J. Tester, Feb. 1957). (OS Card Reference). SKE39296.

<2> Ant. J., Vol.XI, 1931, pp. 170-1, illus. pl. xxvi. (Notes). (OS Card Reference). SKE33240.

<3> Arch. Cant. Vol.71, 1957, p.232 (P.J. Tester) (OS Card Reference). SKE37117.

<4> B.M. Acc. Register. (OS Card Reference). SKE37440.

<5> F1 ASP 11-SEP-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42060.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 57 SW 23 - September, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3130.

<7> Inventaria Archaeologia 8th Set. Bronze Age Grave Groups and Hoards in the British Museum, 1960, GB (OS Card Reference). SKE44497.

<8> Kent Archaeological Review 2, 1965, 32 (J V Ritson) (OS Card Reference). SKE45901.