Little Thetford .org

We reported two-years ago that the article on our Bronze-Age flesh-hook appeared on the Wikipedia front-page. At that time, we did not have a copyright free image of our flesh-hook to show our readers. A friend of the village, Dr Peter Hoare, kindly took a photograph of our flesh-hook during one of his visits to the British Museum.

^* Image Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Dr Peter Hoare

Local Ely researcher Dr Peter Hoare has sent out an appeal to let him examine any Pliosaur bones locals may still own from the 1952‡ find in Stretham. At that time, Cambridge University’s Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences took what bones they wanted from the Ouse River Board excavation; locals were then allowed to help themselves to the rest. In the intervening sixty-years, experts have come to realise that the find—originally named Stretosaurus to commemorate its find in Stretham—is more important than at first reported. Contact Peter here.

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John McCullough

†Headline (melody) with apologies to James Wheldon Johnson
‡The Ely Standard and Cambridgeshire Times, Friday 13 June 1952

John Parish tells us that this is a “Roman bronze coin of unusual and as yet unidentified type. Emperors head on reverse too corroded to identify”.

Edit: We have been told that “this is either a cut down/worn away Antoninianus or a barbarous copy commemorating Claudius II Gothicus after his death AD 270. The reverse is an Altar type ‘CONSECRATIO’, the IO is visible. It is close to the Garlanded Altar type RIC Vol V Part 1 Cladius II Gothicus No 261. There are barbarous types copying those made in a Roman Mint. It is a coin type we find quite commonly these days.”

“RIC = The Roman Imperial Coinage; Vol V = Volume 5. This RIC book volume was originally printed 1927 by Spink & Son ltd under Editors Harold Mattingly M.A. and Edward A Sydenham M.A and Part 1 is primarily the work of a Percy H Webb M.B.E. It was Reprinted in 1998 and 2001 by Bookcraft (Bath) Ltd. The actual book page designating RIC ‘CIIG’ Coin Number 261 is page 233 of the Vol 5 Pt 1″.

Thank you to Richard Ashford.


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Bob Young points out that the Bronze Roman rams head found in Little Thetford by Dave Fletcher is similar to a bovine head found in Little Thetford by Philip Randall; see pictures below. Both these artefacts are probably votive offerings. Judge the similarity yourself.

Dave Fletchers Roman Rams Head find

Philip Randells bovine head find

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Phillip Randall of Barway showed us some more of his local finds recently. On the right we have a Bronze-Age sky wheel or Celtic sun cross perhaps used as part of pre-Christian sun worship or a symbol of a simple time-keeping instrument.

Below we show two views of one of Philips large stone maces. Found by the site of the Bronze-Age Barway to Little Thetford causeway, this mace may even have been used in the construction of said causeway. Who knows?

Phillip Randall of Barway showed us some of his Barway finds recently. On the left is a deer antler net tool and the rest of the artefacts are flint hand axes.

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Dave Fletcher of Little Thetford showed us some more of his finds recently. At the top is a deer antler tool with a beaker pottery sherd underneath it. There are three flint scrapers and underneath those seven arrow heads.

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Dave Fletcher recently found two Roman objects in Little Thetford, a quern-stone and a spindle-whorl. See photographs. The quern is made from grey lava. Similar ones are noted in the Portable Antiquities Scheme as find number SF-82B87 and Bill Wyman in Suffolk. In his 2005 book Treasure Island – Britain’s History Uncovered Wyman records a Roman quern find whilst ‘field walking’ near his home in Suffolk (page VI). Quern stones were used for grinding wheat. A whorl was used for spinning.

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A Little Thetford villager has shown us some finds obtained over the years from in and around his back garden. We have suggested to the villager that he should take a selection of these to the museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge or perhaps the Ely museum for a professional identification. In the meantime, if you can help identify one or more of these artefacts our villager would, we are sure, appreciate it. The villager does not wish to be named. However, should you wish to know who this is, please do ask using the comment form below.

EDIT April 2012: Richard Ashford tells us that “One of [the coins] looks like a Dutch Counting Token/Jeton which is a 1586-1635 Hans Krauwincel II Rose orb Jeton normally inscribed HANNS KRAVWINCKEL IN N minted in Nuremburg. Better picture and description can be found on the UKDFD Ref 12931”

Beads of various ages. We think the blue one may be Saxon?	Coins and spoon. Obverse	Coins and spoon. Reverse
Modern or older tunic buttons?	Lead curse?	Stone practise shot?
Tooth and bone from what animal?

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A rare enamelled cheek piece toggle was found recently in Little Thetford. This piece can be identified by reference to similar finds such as on this one or these.

Our circa 1s century BC to 1st century AD toggle is 82 mm long and weighs 45 grams.

It is thought these bridle toggles were used to link the chariot trace leathers on to the body of the vehicle. According to the UK finds database, examples have been excavated from late Iron-Age chariot burials. Such burial finds are rare in the UK. This British Archaeology article for example reports that there are only 20 such finds in England; all in Yorkshire. There is one find in Scotland.

Photos John McCullough

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