Angus HER - NO33SW0004 - PYOTDYKES FARM

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Main Details

Primary ReferenceNO33SW0004
NamePYOTDYKES FARM
NRHE Card No.NO33SW4
NRHE Numlink 32031
HES SM No. NULL
HES LB No. NULL
Site Form Artefact
Site Condition Complete 2
Details A Late Bronze Age Hoard, found at this approximate location. A small hoard of two Late Bronze Age leaf-shaped swords and a Middle Bronze Age socketed spearhead was ploughed up in the 'Old Road Field', Pyotdykes Farm in October 1963, probably by the son of the tenant-farmer. One of the swords was encased in the remains of a wooden and leather scabbard, thought to be a find unique in the British Isles (at that time). The scabbard remains were of two pieces, one 65 mm x 26 mm, the second 66 mm x 35 mm. It was made of three layers: a wooden layer, possibly hazel, between two layers of leather. The spearhead was a Coles 'Class E' with a socket decorated with punched bands and chevrons inlaid with hammered gold, the only specimen of its kind known in Scotland, (until a similar find in Carnoustie in 2017, NO53NE0149). The tip is missing, it has a triangular blade with basal loops, gold band around socket mouth, rivet holes on the socket and a length 40 cm. A cloth plug of flax fibres, 38 mm x circa 19 mm was found in the socket, a rare find of Bronze Age textiles. The swords are of the Ewart Park type - Northern unclassified, Burgess and Colquhoun's 521 and 536. One sword has the top of its hilt missing, a length 59.2 cm, shoulder width 5 cm, maximum blade width 4.15 cm, with a smooth green patina, lighter around the ricasso, showing an outline of an organic handle clearly. The edge is badly corroded, rivets 3:6, three in situ, others broken off. The second sword has a length 55.2 cm, shoulder width 5.05 cm, maximum blade width 3.8 cm, with a smooth dark green patina getting lighter towards the ricasso. The outline of the hilt plates show up as darker green, with the blade edge badly corroded, with rivets 1 (possibly more):2, none in situ. The swords and spearhead are in the McManus Museum, Dundee. Comparable with the hoard found in Carnoustie in 2017 (NO53NE0149).
Last Update18/08/2022
Updated Bycpalmer
Compiler 
Date of Compilation 

Google Map for NO33SW0004

National Grid Reference: NO 3454 3480



Event Details


Excavations and Surveys


Artefact and Ecofact

Date MDate YArtefact TypeFinderRecovery MethodConditionStorage LocationAccess No.
 1963 BRONZE HOARD GR Stray Find Fragmentary - Conservation Necessary Dundee Art Gallery & Museum 1964-73.1

Ecofact

Samples
Palynology
Ecofact Notes

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
SWORDSBRONZEEWART PARK TYPEB100
SPEARHEADSBRONZESOCKETEDC100
SPEARHEADS DECORATEDD100
SCABBARDSWOODENREMAINS OFE100
SCABBARDSLEATHERREMAINS OFF100
INLAYSGOLD G100
TEXTILESFLAX H100
CLOTHFLAX I100
FRAGMENTSORGANIC J100
HOARDSBRONZEREMAINS OFA100