Amongst the many important finds from Bradley Fen a small collection of Bronze Age swords and spears stands out as being special. The importance of these pieces of metalwork lies not in the objects themselves, as many such things have been found before, but in the context in which they were found. At Bradley Fen we were able to relate these objects to the adjacent Bronze Age fields and houses. Previously, so much of the Bronze Age metalwork that is on display in museums was found by chance (ploughing, dredging etc.) and therefore separated from its original context. The Bradley Fen metalwork finds were of two kinds: individual spearheads deposited along the wet fen edge and, remarkably enough, a hoard of spearheads and sword fragments. Of the latter, a number had obviously been intentionally broken and the blade edges of some had been deeply notched.

The hoard was found at a point where the buried soil survived as a small mound surrounded by a gravel surface. This small 'island' measured about 5m in diameter and stood about 30cm. Flint tools and a pick made from an antler were recovered from the surrounding surface. Why did this particular patch of buried soil survive? Perhaps this was where a large tree once stood. We can be sure there was some kind of obstacle because, as we can see on the plan, the main north-south boundary ditch swerved around it. Over time the surrounding surface was gradually covered by a thin layer of silt. The ground around the small island became wet and the first horizon of peat began to form. Slowly the mound was covered by peat and it was at this point that the collection of broken spears and swords were deposited on its southern side. Elsewhere on the mound two large saddle querns were deposited as were fragments of a human skull.

The hoard comprised swords, spears, part of a chape, two ferrules, one piece of animal bone and a single piece of slag. Many of the pieces were incomplete, all had been damaged or broken in some way, including one spear which had been heavily but systematically notched all around its edge.

The spears were found singularly along the edge of the terrace. Unlike the pieces in the hoard these had not been damaged or broken but appeared comparatively 'pristine'. In one case a spear was found sticking in the ground as if it had just been thrown. This was one of four spears discovered along the edge of one of the field boundaries, which extended out into the fen.

At Fengate the Bronze Age metalwork was also found at the very edge of the terrace close to an old river channel and either side of the beginning of the Flag Fen post alignment. This section illustrates the remarkable patterning of metalwork deposition on either side of the embayment.