3000-year-old Bronze Age golden torc discovered in Essex (photo)

In the UK, a metal detector has discovered a part of a 3000-year-old twisted torque with a golden flange from the Bronze Age in a field. The find, made near Mistley in Essex, has been officially declared a treasure.

This is the first Bronze Age golden torc found in Essex. It is reported by The History Blog.

The flanged twisted ends were produced during the Penard metalworking phase of the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1300-1150 BC). They were made by cutting four longitudinal slits in a solid gold bar to form an X-shaped cross-section, and then turning the ends of the bar left and right to create a twisting effect.

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The twisted band of the Essex fragment measures approximately 5.8 inches long with one surviving end pipe 2.4 inches long. Archaeologists believe that the total length of just over eight inches is less than half the length when it was intact.

The torc has dents in several places along the twisted edges, likely due to agricultural work long after it was lost. It also has three bends, and the sharp break is probably also modern.

Researchers at the British Museum subjected the torque to X-ray fluorescence analysis to determine its composition. It is 75-77% gold, 18-20% silver and the remaining 5-3% copper. This makes it 18-carat gold.

As a reminder, a 500-year-old treasure hidden by a monk was discovered in Germany.

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