Find Spot record MDR12350 - Unstratified Roman and Early Medieval artefacts, Staveley Hall, Staveley

As part of community excavations carried out in the grounds of Staveley Hall in 2006, metal detector sweeps of machine-excavated topsoil were carried out by local volunteers. Provisional results included a number of bronze brooches of early Roman (1st to 2nd century) date, and bronze pins of Anglo-Saxon date. The majority of this material was recovered from topsoil in the vicinity of a single trench (Trench 9 on the site), with a couple of pieces from Trench 10. In addition, two sherds of Roman pottery were encountered as residual elements in medieval features during the 2005 season. No early metal finds were recovered during 2005 when all topsoil was excavated by hand, so it appears likely that the concentration of material around the two 2006 trenches is a genuine pattern. Several possible explanations have been put forward. Firstly, the finds may have been incorporated within material scoured from the Staveley Hall footprint during levelling that took place prior to its construction in the early 17th century. Secondly, the finds could have arrived on site in a consignment of imported hardcore. Thirdly, the finds could have been part of an antiquarian collection assembled by a resident of the hall and later disposed of in the grounds. This would explain the concentration of metalwork and corresponding scarcity of pottery, and the apparent clustering of material around Trench 9. (1)