AMULET

Treasure: 2008 T782. Gold centre-looped pendant amulet resembling similar examples of cosmetic pestles, in copper alloy, from kits or cosmetic sets, often associated with a small mortar, for the preparation of powdered cosmetics. "I have recorded many hundreds of the copper-alloy components since my original Britannia 1985 paper and all the evidence still supports the cosmetic link, but no evidence at all for woad. I would briefly say that I believe the form of the kits imbued them with roles additional to their basic function in preparing powdered cosmetics, especially related to status, identity, fertility, and apotropaic use. Thus, this gold example, whilst being made in the form of the copper-alloy centre-looped pestles, and clearly both usable and recognisable as such in Roman Britain, might seldom or never have been used in the preparation process but instead have functioned principally as a protective and fertility amulet." (Dr. Ralph Jackson pers comm) This example, however, has seven facetted edges running the length of the boat-shaped body of the amulet, with a ridge at the base, which does not look like it has ever been used to grind anything. It may have been used to represent such a tool, as a symbol, especially as it is made of gold. The bead or loop is hollow and made in two parts which have been soldered together and then in turn, soldered to the boat-shaped body of the amulet. The solder might have been an alloy of gold and silver which would have lowered the melting point to allow the two parts to join together. The loop hole is perpendicular to the body of the amulet, which is unusual as most examples run parallel instead. This would have allowed the amulet to be suspended as a pendant around the neck so that it could lie flat against the chest. "The orientation of the loop is idiosyncratic and the faceting of the rod a feature of some of the pestles but I would regard this gold example as a pendant amulet adopting the same form as the cosmetic sets rather than actually functioning as a pestle. The crescent was a pretty well universal lunar symbol (Mithras only one of the many 'users'), with fertility as just one, albeit an obvious one, of its potential realms of power." (Dr. Ralph Jackson pers comm)