MOUNT

A Late Iron Age copper alloy bucket mount. This very rare mount measures 62mm by 53mm. The mount is of cruciform shape with an ovoid shape head in the centre. The head is that of a human male and has round eyes, a nose and a visible hairline (all other details have been lost due to wear). At the top of the head is a projecting circular suspension loop, and three ‘arms’ project out from the sides and base of the mount. Although two of these arms are partially broken, all three appear to have had a small circular rivet hole at their terminal. The back of the object is slightly hollow. The shape of this mount is paralleled by a find from Thealby, Lincolnshire (Jope, E. M. 2000. Early Celtic Art in the British Isles, plate 182). This discovery is of great importance because there are comparatively few human representations on bucket mounts known from Late Iron Age Britain. There are only eight other well provenanced examples from five sites: pairs of mounts from Welwyn (Hertfordshire), Aylesford and Alkham (both Kent) and a singleton from Thealby (Lincolnshire) (Powell 1966, 225; James & Rigby 1997, fig.19; Jope 2000, pl. 182i). There is also a poorly recorded example from the ‘River Ribble’ thought to have been found at Ribchester (Lancashire) (MacGregor 1976, ref. 316). All these mounts are dated to the early first century AD. James, S. & Rigby, V. 1997. Britain and the Celtic Iron Age, figure 19; Jope, E. M. 2000. Early Celtic Art in the British Isles, plate 182i; MacGregor, M. 1976. Early Celtic Art in North Britain, ref. 316); and Powell, T. G. E. 1966. Prehistoric Art, page 225.