A detective found a treasure trove of bronze axes and spears

A set of twenty artefacts found by a metal detector near the village of Llanddeusant in Carmarthenshire date from 1000 - 800 BC. It contains 20 artefacts - including three types of bronze axe, a broken spear, etc. It was declared a treasure late last month by Paul Bennett, chief coroner for Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

The 3,000-year-old bronze depot was discovered by Richard Trew during a search with his Equinox in November 2020: 'I felt like I had been transported back in time, no other words can describe it. I couldn't stop laughing as I kept finding more objects. I'll never forget that moment and it will always be with me," said Richard Trew, describing the first unforgettable moments of the find.

The entire assemblage is made up of twenty bronze artefacts - including a large spearhead which was literally the highlight of the assemblage, three small spear fragments, a fragment of aramekin, nine ribbed and two plain axes with sleeves, one faceted axe, two sheet bronze fragments and a bronze part of a casting mould.

According to experts, Mr Trew's actions in reporting the find and documenting it was an excellent feat as it led to the discovery of more stories associated with the treasure. Subsequent research led by Dyfed Archaeological Trust, together with archaeologists from the Welsh NationalAmgueddfa Cymru Museum revealed that the objects had been stored together in a purpose-dug pit, far from any Bronze Age settlement.

The large bronze spearhead had been deliberately blunt-nosed before being deposited and carefully placed on top of the hoard. Experts say it was probably a ceremonial offering. In its day, such a set of artefacts and the material itself were highly prized commodities. It appears to have been deposited by a larger group who made this offering to the gods.

Roman Nemec

Sources: bbc.com, southwalesguardian.co.uk

Richard Trew's detector