Bronze age artefacts found at Devon shipwreck site

A group of divers have discovered a submerged hoard of Bronze Age artefacts off Salcombe, Devon.

The find includes swords and rapiers, palstave axe heads, an adze, a cauldron handle, and a gold bracelet.

The artefacts have been reported to English Heritage and declared to the Receiver of Wreck at the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, as it is believed that these relics come from an ancient shipwreck. The finds are currently being studied at the British Museum, which also holds the artefacts from the nearby 'Moor Sands' Bronze Age wreck site.

Curator of European Bronze Age collections at the British Museum, Stuart Needham, said: "The evidence from Salcombe and other rare sites, such as that at Langdon Bay, help us to build up a picture of object movements, the organisation of trade and the character of seafaring."

The South West Maritime Archaeology Group (SWMAG) had been diving under licence from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, on the shipwreck known as the Salcombe Cannon site last summer. In 1995, a hoard of gold coins was found along with evidence indicating the presence of a far older wreck.

The finds from 'Moor Sands' and the new site belong to exactly the same phase of the Bronze Age, dating to around the 13th century BC, and archaeologists are wondering if the finds all come from the same vessel.

The blades of swords and rapiers dominate the finds, but axes, tools and ornaments are also present.

The swords are amongst the earliest found in north-west Europe. Some of the objects are of north French origin and are types which are rare in this country. The Bronze Age was a time of considerable trade in metals, right across Europe but it is exceptional to find material which has actually been caught in transit.

It is expected that some of the important artefacts will put placed on permanent display to the public.

English Heritage and SWMAG are planning a further research-led investigation this year in order to try to answer some of the questions raised by the collection of artefacts.

The new site falls within the protected area of the 'Salcombe Cannon' shipwreck site, and as such is protected from unauthorised and illegal diving under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

(SP)