An incomplete late Roman - Early Medieval (Anglo Saxon) cast copper alloy object, possibly a buckle or a linking ring from a girdle hanger, 5th - 6th century. The find consists of the moulded copper alloy arch that would have been looped over a belt or girdle, with a decorative hanger suspended from the loop at the end of each arm. The arch has been cast in an irregular triangle section, with a flat back and base and a moulded outer face. At the centre of the outer face are two equally-space face masks, each with a pair of concave round eyes and a concave vertically scored mouth. The remaining arm of the arched hanger curves steeply round and narrows into a D-shaped section. At the terminal of the arm it expands outwards again into a rectangular collar and a knop which has been pierced with a circular suspension loop. The interior edge of the arch has been worn fairly smooth, although it is not clear whether this occurred prior to or post-deposition. The object has a very dark green patina, and patches of white concretion on the upper edge near the masks. A similar object is recorded in the British Museum collection of Anglian types, although this has zoomorphic decoration rather than figurative; it is dated by associated objects to around AD 500 (1923, 89)<\/p>
\n<\/p>\n\n
Stuart Laycock notes: the top half looks more medieval than late Roman, but the attachment method looks more late Roman.
\nKevin Leahy notes: this may be too wide to be a linking ring for a girdle hanger.<\/p>
\n<\/p>\n\n
Dimensions: length: 32.83mm; width: 43.35mm; thickness: 6.91mm; weight: 12.11g.<\/p>","notes":"
Girdle hangers are so-called, because they were clearly worn suspended from the belt or girdle, although the degree to which some of them may have had a function is unclear (MacGregor and Bolick 1993). MacGregor and Bolick note that they are found exclusively in female graves, and almost exclusively in Anglian areas (1993, 228).<\/p>\n
References:
\nMacGregor, A. & Bolick, E. (1993) A summary catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon collections (non-ferrous metals). British Archaeological Reports: British Series 230.
\nBritish Museum (1923) A Guide to the Anglo-Saxon and Foreign Teutonic Antiquities in the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities. Oxford University Press.
\nIdentification by Dr Kevin Leahy, PAS Finds Advisor for Early Medieval artefacts and Stuart Laycock, Specialist in Late Roman buckles.
\n <\/p>","old_findID":"LON-EFED41","id":"384529","objecttype":"BUCKLE","classification":null,"subclass":null,"reuse":null,"created":"2010-04-09 11:17:56","broadperiod":"EARLY MEDIEVAL","updated":"2010-10-19 15:30:00","treasureID":null,"secwfstage":"4","secuid":"PAS4BBEFED40012A7","findofnote":"1","objecttypecert":"2","datefound1":null,"datefound2":null,"createdBy":"523","curr_loc":null,"inscription":null,"reason":"Regional importance","subsequentAction":"Returned to finder"}],"record":[{"id":"384529","old_findID":"LON-EFED41","uniqueID":"PAS4BBEFED40012A7","objecttype":"BUCKLE","classification":null,"subclass":null,"length":"32.83","height":null,"width":"43.35","thickness":"6.91","diameter":null,"quantity":"1","other_ref":null,"treasureID":null,"broadperiod":"EARLY MEDIEVAL","numdate1":"400","numdate2":"600","description":"
An incomplete late Roman - Early Medieval (Anglo Saxon) cast copper alloy object, possibly a buckle or a linking ring from a girdle hanger, 5th - 6th century. The find consists of the moulded copper alloy arch that would have been looped over a belt or girdle, with a decorative hanger suspended from the loop at the end of each arm. The arch has been cast in an irregular triangle section, with a flat back and base and a moulded outer face. At the centre of the outer face are two equally-space face masks, each with a pair of concave round eyes and a concave vertically scored mouth. The remaining arm of the arched hanger curves steeply round and narrows into a D-shaped section. At the terminal of the arm it expands outwards again into a rectangular collar and a knop which has been pierced with a circular suspension loop. The interior edge of the arch has been worn fairly smooth, although it is not clear whether this occurred prior to or post-deposition. The object has a very dark green patina, and patches of white concretion on the upper edge near the masks. A similar object is recorded in the British Museum collection of Anglian types, although this has zoomorphic decoration rather than figurative; it is dated by associated objects to around AD 500 (1923, 89)<\/p>
\n<\/p>\n\n
Stuart Laycock notes: the top half looks more medieval than late Roman, but the attachment method looks more late Roman.
\nKevin Leahy notes: this may be too wide to be a linking ring for a girdle hanger.<\/p>
\n<\/p>\n\n
Dimensions: length: 32.83mm; width: 43.35mm; thickness: 6.91mm; weight: 12.11g.<\/p>","notes":"
Girdle hangers are so-called, because they were clearly worn suspended from the belt or girdle, although the degree to which some of them may have had a function is unclear (MacGregor and Bolick 1993). MacGregor and Bolick note that they are found exclusively in female graves, and almost exclusively in Anglian areas (1993, 228).<\/p>\n
References:
\nMacGregor, A. & Bolick, E. (1993) A summary catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon collections (non-ferrous metals). British Archaeological Reports: British Series 230.
\nBritish Museum (1923) A Guide to the Anglo-Saxon and Foreign Teutonic Antiquities in the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities. Oxford University Press.
\nIdentification by Dr Kevin Leahy, PAS Finds Advisor for Early Medieval artefacts and Stuart Laycock, Specialist in Late Roman buckles.
\n <\/p>","reuse":null,"created":"2010-04-09 11:17:56","updated":"2010-10-19 15:30:00","secwfstage":"4","findofnote":"1","objecttypecert":"2","datefound1":null,"datefound2":null,"inscription":null,"disccircum":null,"museumAccession":null,"subsequentAction":"1","objectCertainty":"2","dateFromCertainty":"1","dateToCertainty":"1","dateFoundFromCertainty":null,"dateFoundToCertainty":null,"subPeriodFrom":"1","subPeriodTo":"1","reason":"Regional importance","username":"ksumnall","fullname":"Kate Sumnall","institution":"LON","usernameUpdate":"ksumnall","fullnameUpdate":"Kate Sumnall","primaryMaterial":"Copper alloy","secondaryMaterial":null,"decoration":null,"style":"Zoomorphic","manufacture":"Cast","surfaceTreatment":null,"completeness":"Incomplete","preservation":"Fair","cert":"Probably","periodFrom":"EARLY MEDIEVAL","periodTo":"EARLY MEDIEVAL","culture":"Anglo-Saxon","discmethod":"Metal detector","finder":null,"identifier":"Dr Kevin Leahy","secondaryIdentifier":null,"recorder":"Mrs Kate Sumnall","county":"KENT","parish":"CAPEL LE FERNE","district":"DOVER","easting":null,"northing":null,"gridref":null,"fourFigure":"TR2438","map25k":"TR2438","map10k":"TR23NW","address":null,"postcode":null,"findspotdescription":null,"lat":null,"lon":null,"knownas":null,"source":"From Finder","obverse_description":null,"obverse_inscription":null,"reverse_description":null,"reverse_inscription":null,"denomination":null,"degree_of_wear":null,"allen_type":null,"va_type":null,"mack":null,"reeceID":null,"die":null,"wearID":null,"moneyer":null,"revtypeID":null,"categoryID":null,"typeID":null,"tribeID":null,"status":null,"rulerQualifier":null,"denominationQualifier":null,"mintQualifier":null,"dieAxisCertainty":null,"initialMark":null,"reverseMintMark":null,"statusQualifier":null,"tribe":null,"region":null,"area":null,"ruler1":null,"ruler2":null,"period_name":null,"date_range":null,"mint_name":null,"wear":null,"die_axis_name":null,"category":null,"type":null,"emperorID":null,"mintid":null,"reverseType":null,"i":"300948","f":"Preece - Saxon buckle - Mar 10.jpg","imagedir":"images\/ksumnall\/"}]}