In the late nineteenth century, a small hoard of late Roman silver was discovered near Great Horwood in Buckinghamshire. Five silver spoons, a finger-ring, pin and penannular brooch were found inside a silver beaker. The objects from the hoard fall into two groups: newly made or unfinished objects and older artefacts showing signs of wear and/or modification. For example, the spoons from the hoard were bent over to fit into the hoard container while the silver pin has slight wear to the tip. The silver penannular brooch, meanwhile, is in perfect condition and appears new.
The silver finger-ring from the hoard, now in the collection of Discover Bucks Museum, is one of the unfinished objects. The octagonal ring shows no signs of wear but has very sharp edges and visible tool marks. Its blank bezel further confirms that the ring was unfinished when it was buried. The newly made and unfinished objects are the latest dating objects in the hoard.
The combination of old, new and incomplete objects strongly suggests that Great Horwood represents a craftworkers hoard. The hoard allows us to explore the production, repair and recycling of artefacts in the fifth century.