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Rare Bronze Age Button Declared Treasure

Monday, 24 August 2026 12:26

A 3,000-year-old Bronze Age button found near the Norfolk Broads has been declared treasure and could join Norwich Castle’s collection.

A rare Bronze Age button discovered near the Norfolk Broads has been declared treasure after experts described the find as highly unusual.

The copper-alloy object was discovered by a metal detectorist near Barton Turf in 2023 and is believed to date from between 1000BC and 700BC.

It was found alongside a Bronze Age axe head, while another axe head had been discovered at the same site two years earlier.

Archaeologists believe all three objects may have been deliberately placed in the ground together around 3,000 years ago.

The button measures around 2.4cm across and features an unusual raised central section and a loop on the reverse which may have been used to attach it.

Experts say Bronze Age buttons are extremely rare.

Only 19 have been recorded on the national Portable Antiquities Scheme database, with the Barton Turf discovery believed to be just the third found in Norfolk.

It is not known for certain how objects like this were used, with experts suggesting they could have been worn on clothing or potentially used as decoration elsewhere.

Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery now hopes to acquire the find for its archaeological collection.

 

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