ANGLO-SAXON OXFORDSHIRE

MILTON ANGLO-SAXON CEMETERY

In 1832 a circular jewelled brooch was found with a skeleton buried in the gravel at Milton. Several years later, J.Y. Akerman and R.A. Smith noted the discovery of spearheads at the site. In 1824 further skeletons had been discovered at the Ballast Pit (Milton I). Excavation of this gravel pit continued until 1943 when a Roman pot and shearhead were found.

Letter relating to excavations at Milton I

A composite jewelled brooch was also found in 1832 at a site at North Field (Milton II). Its pair was later found in 1852 and is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The brooch found in 1832 is in the Ashmolean Museum and dates from the mid-seventh century. It has copper alloy cloisons and low-quality gems which is thought to reflect a scarcity of gold and good quality garnets at the time.

Record sheet of jewelled brooches from Milton compiled by E.T. Leeds (Click on image to see larger version)	Jewelled brooch from Milton (AN1823p123.59)

Weapons were also recovered from the North Field site in 1852. Then in 1858 J.Y. Akerman excavated a further eight graves.

The finds from Milton appear to date from the late Roman period up to the seventh century.

REFERENCES:

A. MacGregor and E. Bolick (1993) Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non- Ferrous Metals), BAR British Series 230.