Two buried Iron Age hoards reveal first evidence for four-wheeled wagons in Britain

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In 2021, a man named Peter Heads made a fascinating discovery while using his metal detector in Melsonby, North Yorkshire in the UK. The find prompted him to contact Tom Moore at the Department of Archaeology at Durham University, who later determined that the hoards of metallic items were from the Late Iron Age. This is not too surprising, as the hoards were discovered near the Stanwick "royal site," a major Iron Age power center. However, upon further study of the site, the team found some unexpected artifacts, including many vehicle parts, that have now altered the way Iron Age British technology and society is viewed.

An intriguing discovery of over 950 objects

In the new study, published in the journal Antiquity, the team outlines their findings of over 950 objects which were found in two separate hoards. Most of the objects were fragments of what the archaeologist say were around 300 whole objects altogether. Oddly, the items appeared to be deliberately dismantled, damaged, and deposited in ditches.

They say that around two-thirds of the artifacts are composed of copper alloy and the rest were iron. The majority of the findings came from the first hoard (Hoard 1), and at least 88 items were found in Hoard 2. The team says that about three quarters of the items in both hoards seemed to belong to vehicles, likely four-wheeled wagons, representing the first evidence of such vehicles in Britain.

Vehicle-related items found included iron tires and brackets, linchpins, yoke fittings, kingpins, bolts, rein rings, and tubular adornments. However, they also found vessels (including a cauldron), spears, an iron mirror, box components, a shield boss, edge bindings, melted pieces of copper alloy.

"The presence of kingpins (essential for the steering mechanism on wagons but not chariots), the substantial size of many of the tires, the brackets and the oversized horse harness metalwork indicate that the deposit contains the remains of substantial four-wheeled wagons instead of, or as well as, lighter two-wheeled chariots/carts. The assemblage amounts to a minimum of seven wagons, more if some vehicles were two-wheeled, although we cannot exclude the possibility that parts of different vehicles were buried rather than entire examples," the study authors wrote.

Historical contexts

Radiocarbon dating placed the hoards in the late 1st century BC to early 1st century AD. Although the dates were preliminary, the team says dating was consistent across items and that the styles of some of the objects resemble those of Roman objects found around the same time. This would make sense, since it coincides with the time of the Roman conquest of southern Britain (AD 43).

There is still much uncertainty about the purpose of the buried hoards of what appear to be mostly valuable objects. However, the researchers outline a few possibilities. They indicate first that a significant event, or sequence of events, must have taken place at the time that led to the destruction and deposition of hoards of metalwork constituting a "huge amount of portable wealth."

The authors mention that another Stanwick hoard nearby may have been a metalworker's collection intended for later retrieval or recycling, and posit that the two newly found hoards may have been meant for a similar purpose. However, they also say that a lack of crucibles and metalworking equipment makes this somewhat unlikely.

"Melted copper-alloy fragments from the plow soil have previously been interpreted as casting waste, but an alternative explanation is considered below. Lack of wear on the bits and the well-preserved coral and glass adornments on many of the harness fittings also argue against objects in the process of being recycled, as these would likely have been removed. The structured nature of these deposits and the highly selective composition of the material further refute recycling," the study authors explain.

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Despite a lack of detectable human remains, the team says another possibility is a funerary event. Some objects showed signs of burning or melting, suggesting a kind of ritual destruction. The team says that inclusion of feasting vessels and other decorative items support this idea.

"Hoards associated with funerary events need not be defined by the presence of human remains. There may never have been a burial at Melsonby, even if material was exposed to funerary pyres. Despite the lack of evidence for cremation in North Yorkshire—a practice that was becoming more common in Late Iron Age southern Britain—it remains possible that such a rite was practiced but that the human remains were deposited in ways that are not visible archaeologically," the researchers wrote.

While many questions remain, the new findings have offered up a rare glimpse into the wealth, rituals, and connections of what were likely Iron Age elites, and shed light on the origins of four-wheeled transportation in Britain. Study of the hoards is ongoing and may continue to reveal more details.

Written for you by our author Krystal Kasal, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.

Publication details

Sophia Adams et al, Vehicles of change: two exceptional deposits of destroyed chariots or wagons from Late Iron Age Britain, Antiquity (2026). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2026.10311

Journal information: Antiquity

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