Rights Holder: Oxfordshire County Council
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KEY (LOCKING)
Unique ID: BERK-36E5B4
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A cast copper alloy Roman tumbler lock slide key, complete with chain. The key has a circular suspension loop attached to the oblong bow. The bow is decorated with a cross-hatched design. The key stem has horizontal lines etched into it while the key bit, which is perpendicular to the bow, is sub-rectangular with three deeply etched vertical grooves. These grooves probably form the base of three teeth that are now missing. All decoration to the key is restricted to the upper face only, with the back being plain and roughly finished. The key has a chain still attached through the suspension loop - the chain consists of 14 roughly circular copper alloy links, each formed from a single loop of copper alloy and with a diameter of c.10.5mm.
The key measures 46.87mm in length and the bit is 10.36mm deep. The chain measures 91.83mm in length. The total weight is 23.5gms.
Notes:
Finding a key with the chain still attached is very unusual and therefore this has been designated a Find of Note.
Find of note status
This is a find of note and has been designated: Potential for inclusion in Britannia
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 43
Date to: Circa AD 410
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 138.1 mm
Width: 16.84 mm
Thickness: 10.36 mm
Weight: 23.5 g
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: 2010.523
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Geometric
Completeness: Complete
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Oxfordshire (County)
District: South Oxfordshire (District)
To be known as: South Oxfordshire
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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