STUD

Probably a fragment of a cast copper-alloy Roman lock-pin,c. AD 43 - 410. The pin is derived from a small lock from a box or cupboard. The artefact comprises a circular head, decorated with two concentric rings, with a raised circular knop in the centre. Around the edge of the head there is wide, outward tapering rim, which has been badly damaged. The head measures 23.9mm in diameter. On the under side of the head there is a broken stud, which would have attached the object to shank. The copper alloy is a mid greyish-green colour. A parallel can be seen in Crummy, p125, Fig: 137. 

Bell-shaped studs are a multi-purpose form of artefact, commonly found on sites dating to the Roman period. The key difference from other Roman studs, nails and fittings is the circular countersunk or convex face, which usually has at its centre a boss or cone.

While their exact purpose is not fully understood, they are believed to have been used, for example, on furniture, doors, and caskets, such as the bronze box-plate from Walheim Germany (Allason-Jones and McKay 1985, 30). It is noted that unless found in-situ, or as part of a set, it is rarely possible to attribute the stud to a specific purpose (Allason-Jones 2011, 8-9). Often found in association with northern frontier forts, the studs are known to be in use from the 1st to 4th centuries AD.

Refs:

Allason-Jones, L. (2011) Artefacts in Roman Britain: Their Purpose and Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Allason-Jones, L. and McKay, B. (1985) Coventina's Well: A Shrine on Hadrian’s Wall. Trustees of the Clayton Collection Chesters Museum, Hexham.