The Havering Hoard is a hoard of 453 Late Bronze Age (900 to 800 BC) artifacts found on a site overlooking the River Thames in Rainham, London in 2018. It is the largest Bronze Age hoard in London and the third largest in Britain. The discovery was made during an archaeological survey of the site before it was used for gravel mining. The finds included weapons, tools and ingots, but only a small amount of jewelry. It was unusual to be buried in four different locations; most Bronze Age hoards previously excavated were concentrated in one location. Some items from continental Europe show a connection to this region. Several suggestions have been made as to the origin of the hoard, which include the collection of recycled goods, one man's attempt to control the bronze trade in the area, or the large-scale abandonment of bronze objects in the early Iron Age. The artifacts are currently on display at the Docklands Museum in London , after which they will be exhibited at the Havering Museum.
The Havering treasure trove was discovered in 2018 during archaeological investigations at a site north of the River Thames in Rainham, London Borough of Havering that was planned to be used for gravel mining. The site had been identified as a possible Bronze Age enclosure site since the 1960s, when aerial photography showed traces of crops indicating the presence of earthworks. The surrounding area is rich in Bronze Age artifacts. The planning conditions associated with the consent granted by Havering Township Council to the quarrying company included a requirement for archaeological excavation at the site. This requirement was included at the suggestion of the Greater London Archaeology Advisory Service of Historic England, whose initial field investigations indicated that the site had high archaeological potential. The quarrying company commissioned Archaeological Solutions Ltd. to investigate.
The treasure was discovered Friday afternoon when the site was closed for the weekend. The discovery was made by 21-year-old archaeologist Harry Platts, who began a temporary six-week contract with the company just four weeks ago. He discovered an axe head, and after working overtime until late in the evening, the team discovered other objects buried together in a hole a couple of meters wide. The coroner recognized the discovery as a treasure. After leaving the company, Platts enrolled in a master's degree in archaeology at York University.
