A Bronze Age hoard discovered near Norwich included "rare and mysterious" pottery.

Some 40 axes and axe fragments were found at Great Melton by metal detectorist Trevor Radley in August, 2019, along with pieces of a storage vessel.

On Friday, they were declared to be treasure at an inquest.

Area coroner Yvonne Blake said the hoard, which dated back to between 1120 and 800BC, included both solid axes, or palstaves and socketed axes.

Eastern Daily Press: Some of the Bronze Age hoard found by a metal detectorist at Great MeltonSome of the Bronze Age hoard found by a metal detectorist at Great Melton (Image: Norfolk County Council)

After the hearing Helen Geake, Norfolk's finds liaison officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, said: "It has associated pottery, which is very rare, and a bit mysterious.

"We don’t seem to know why this hoard of metalwork also had some pottery with it."

Dr Geake added the items had been deliberately broken before being hidden.

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Eastern Daily Press: Fragments of pottery, possibly from a storage vessel were found alongside the axe headsFragments of pottery, possibly from a storage vessel were found alongside the axe heads (Image: Norfolk County Council)

"The axes were not buried as working items," she said. "They had been dismantled and the handles taken off.

"This is not in itself that interesting, but two had other fragments stuffed into the sockets – in one case, the fragment was of a far older axe, and in the other, there was also a scrap of fabric.

"This is often thought of as a ritual ‘killing’ of the metalwork – it’s broken up and damaged so that it can’t easily be re-used.

Eastern Daily Press: Some of the axe heads had fragments from other weapons pressed into themSome of the axe heads had fragments from other weapons pressed into them (Image: Norfolk County Council)

"Perhaps there was too much metal in circulation – it wasn’t as restricted to the elites as those elites might like – so it was taken out of use."

Dr Geake said another explanation is the items made up a ‘founder’s hoard’ belonging to a metal smith who had buried it rather than carrying it around with them.

"Why would a metal smith add a pottery container, which would probably have been too fragile to hold the hoard without breaking anyway," she added.

The British Museum now hopes to acquire the hoard.