The term ‘hoard’ is used when more than one metal object is found together, but single objects can be buried for the same reason as groups of objects. The discovery of metal tools, weapons and ornaments in lakes, marshes, hills and fields across Britain has puzzled archaeologists for decades. At first they were thought to be lost possessions, or objects which had been buried for safety and then never recovered, but it is now thought that most were intended to be permanent deposits.

Broken bronze and gold objects could have been recycled, and this might be one reason for gathering them together. However, many thousands were buried in the ground or immersed in water during the Bronze Age rather than being recycled, testifying to the vast scale and intensity of the practice. Considerable variation in the types of object, the locations and the circumstances of deposition throughout the period suggests that there is no single explanation. Theories of social competition, offerings to the dead and gifts to the gods have been proposed. Whatever the reasons, hoarding and the deposition of valuables appear to have been crucial to the lives of Bronze Age communities.