Vehicles of change: two exceptional deposits of destroyed chariots or wagons from Late Iron Age Britain
Resource type
Journal article
Date published
March 17, 2026
Abstract
Two exceptional metalwork deposits, discovered at Melsonby, North Yorkshire, together constitute one of the largest Iron Age hoards recovered in Britain. Dominated by ornate horse harness and vehicle parts, these first-century AD assemblages provide possibly the first evidence for four-wheeled wagons from Iron Age Britain. Associated geographically and temporally with another hoard found in 1843 and with the Late Iron Age ‘royal site’ at Stanwick, these deposits have the potential to broaden our understanding not only of the varied forms of wheeled transport but also of expressions of wealth, status and elite mortuary practices in Iron Age Britain.
Journal title
Antiquity
Publisher
Antiquity Publications
ISSN
0003-598X
eISSN
1745-1744
Official URL
Keywords