A large haul of Bronze Age artefacts has been uncovered by a gardener in Norfolk, England The 145 items, dating from about 800 BCE, were found by Simon Francis as he landscaped the grounds of a house in Cringleford, near Norwich.
     Norfolk County Council archaeologists say the haul is one of the largest and most significant they have known. Curator of archaeology Alan West said: "The items are in good condition and the more items we find the better knowledge we can develop of the era." He said the items, one of the biggest finds in Norfolk, had been buried in a shallow pit. "I would have thought the items were buried there as it was a safe area and they planned to return to recover them at a later date but, for whatever reason, that never happened," Mr West said.
     Since the first 135 items were found, archaeologists have revisited the site and found more, including a Viking brooch. Mr West said: "It is very unusual to find items from two completely different eras all on one site." The haul included axe heads, spear heads, sword parts, tools and ingots. It is hoped the artefacts will eventually go on public display.

Source: BBC News (26 April 2005)