More information : Two Roman bronze crowns and a bronze head-dress, possibly worn by pagan priests, were found "a few years ago" (ante 1925) on Cavenham Heath (TL 7672), lying close together at a depth of about 1.5ft below the surface. Nina Layard located the exact position of the find with the help of Mr Ashley (former landlord of the Crown, Mundford, who sold the finds to Nina Layard) who had previously notched the "post at the foot of which the articles were buried". The area is sited halfway between the Black Ditch and the Icknield Way, on a slight rise overlooking river marshes and opposite the Romano-British settlement.
Excavation at the findspot by Layard revealed a bronze feather, fragments of Late Iron Age, Roman, and Romano-British pottery including Belgic, Castor and Samian ware, animal remains, oyster shells, a few iron nails and roofing tiles suggesting an occupation from 1st-3rd or 4th century AD. Lethbridge made enquiries of
Mr Ashley, former owner of the crowns and headdress, who was of the opinion that they were found on or near the site of the Anglo-Saxon cemetery discovered in 1947 (TL 77 SE 11, TL 7771). Lethbridge also stated that a Romano-British settlement was indicated by numerous scattered potsherds some 200 yds north of the cemetery. (Possibly? associated with Layard's site). Lewis, on the basis of the finds, suggested that a temple might have existed here although no structures are known.
The Roman crowns and head-dress are now in Ipswich Museum.
Nothing visible on RAF air photographs. (1-4)
The probable location of this site is an area centred TL 77616 which fits the topographical discription given but is on Mill Heath, not Cavenham Heath. Mr Marston (a) the farmer, also a local historian, stated that local tradition also sites the finds here.
Perambulation of the area, which is under pasture, produced no finds, nor evidence of a settlement site or temple. (5)
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