Roman Toilet Spoon and Bronze Age Hoard Among Treasure Finds

A hoard of ancient Bronze Age treasures have been declared by a museum in Wales, U.K.

The discoveries, detailed by the Amgueddfa Cymru—Museum Wales in a new report, include fragments of Bronze Age swords, a Roman toilet spoon, and a silver ring.

The Bronze Age hoard was found by a metal detectorist Mark Herman, in the Vale of Glamorgan in southeast Wales in 2019. The artifacts have now been looked at by curators, who have determined their significance.

The treasure includes fragments from two bronze swords and five bronze axes that date back to around 1000 to 800 BC, which was the Late Bronze Age. These finds add to the assumption from archeologists that there was a metal exchange spread across Wales, England and northern France during this time, as many have been found across these regions from the Late Bronze Age.

“This hoard is unusual as it contains fragments from two swords, one of which is a blade tip fragment with decorative grooves which was made in northwestern France,” Chris Griffiths a PhD researcher with the Amgueddfa Cymru—Museum Wales and the University of Reading, said in a summary of the new treasures.

“This small sword fragment therefore forms a key part of a much wider story, connecting those people who lived in Pendoylan [village] community with those who lived in northwestern France, around 3,000 years ago.”

Also declared by the museum was a Roman ligula, also known as a “toilet spoon.” This was discovered by Valentinas Avdejevas while metal detecting in the Vale of Glamorgan in 2020. Toilet spoons were a tool used in ancient times mainly used either for cosmetics or for dispensing medicines. It is not entirely clear whether one use was favored over the other.

Although it may seem like a small find, discoveries like this point to how the ancient Romans practiced hygiene and medicine.

Also discovered by Carlton Sheath in Powys, Wales, was a silver finger ring from post-Medieval times. The ring is decorated with beads among a zig-zag pattern. Archeologists also noticed some marks from a previous owner.

It is not dissimilar to other finds from the early 16th century, a report said, meaning it builds a clearer illustration of trends at the time.

“This decorative silver-gilt finger ring is a fine example of a type popular in the 15th and 16th centuries,” Sian Iles, curator of medieval and later archaeology, Amgueddfa Cymru—National Museum Wales said in the summary of the finds.

“Thanks to the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the provisions of the Treasure Act, as well as prompt reporting by the finder, objects such as this are recorded, contributing greatly to our growing understanding of fashion and style in late medieval and early Tudor Wales.”

New finds from ancient times are being discovered all the time. Each new find, no matter how small, is a puzzle piece in discovering more about the lives of these ancient people. These finds will be houses at the museum.

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