Cornish Bronze Age hoard goes on display

The pieces include axe heads and a complete metal clasp

A Bronze Age hoard uncovered by a gardener on an island off Cornwall in 2009 is on public display.

The collection of 47 artefacts, found on St Michael's Mount, is on display in the island's castle.

Pieces - including axe-heads, daggers, ingots and a complete metal clasp - have been verified by the British Museum as being about 3,000 years old.

Archaeologists said the objects probably belonged to a blacksmith who had hidden them away for later use.

The objects were discovered by Darren Little when he was clearing ivy and found an opening in some rock.

"I first found a small axe head, and, after some more investigation, founds ingots, pieces of swords and chisels," he said.

Although the age of the objects has been identified, archaeologists said they were not sure how they came to be where they were found.

National Trust archaeologist Jim Parry said: "They could have been stashed away when he was doing a deal and he didn't want to bring them with him, or it could have been a safe bit of overnight storage.

"He could have had a smith's working area in front of him and just tucked some pieces behind him, forgot about them and moved on."