A copper-alloy sword pommel of 11th century date. The pommel is sub-triangular in plan with a curved base. The sides are steeply curving with a slight break in the slope part of the way up. At the top of the pommel is a small rectangular open collar through which the tang of the blade would have been secured. The pommel is rectangular in cross-section.<\/p>\n
Both sides of the pommel are decorated with two inward curving scroll motifs. The interior perimeter of each scroll is openwork, though parts are now closed with corrosion. A pair of engraved lines decorate the curved base on both sides. The base metal of the pommel is reddish-purple in colour with patches of green patina.<\/p>\n
The pommel measures 56mm wide, 34mm in length and 14mm deep. The opening at the top measures 9mm by 5mm. The internal opening at the base measures 54mm by 9mm.<\/p>\n
This pommel is almost identical to LEIC-9158C3, discovered in Leicestershire.<\/p>\n
The curved base and engraved lines hint at the development of this sword pommel from a type with a separate guard. Likewise the steeply curving sides with a slight break in slope part of the way up may reflect the pommel's development from a more lobate form.<\/p>\n
The pommel is probably a late development of Petersen's (1919: figs. 124-129) type X, transitional to medieval forms. Copper-alloy pommels with this basic shape are rare but not unknown in Viking Age Europe; there is a reasonably close example from Lough Derg, County Tipperary (in the National Museum of Ireland; Peirce 2002: 140-141) and another from Chetwynd Aston and Woodcote, Shropshire, recorded on the PAS database (HESH-920B71). Although neither of these pommels have complex decoration, the symmetrical Ringerike-style engraving is very like that commonly found on stirrup-strap mounts of the 11th century (Williams 1997: 26-34). Petersen's type X is normally dated to the 10th to 11th centuries, and the decoration dates this particular example to the 11th century.<\/p>","notes":null,"old_findID":"LIN-9468E7","id":"482835","objecttype":"SWORD","classification":"Pommel","subclass":"Peterson type X","reuse":null,"created":"2012-01-20 10:48:47","broadperiod":"EARLY MEDIEVAL","updated":"2012-03-17 15:47:13","treasureID":null,"secwfstage":"4","secuid":"PAS4F19468E001E0B","findofnote":null,"objecttypecert":"1","datefound1":"2012-01-01","datefound2":null,"createdBy":"54","curr_loc":null,"inscription":null,"reason":null,"subsequentAction":"Returned to finder"}],"record":[{"id":"482835","old_findID":"LIN-9468E7","uniqueID":"PAS4F19468E001E0B","objecttype":"SWORD","classification":"Pommel","subclass":"Peterson type X","length":"34","height":null,"width":"56","thickness":"14","diameter":null,"quantity":"1","other_ref":null,"treasureID":null,"broadperiod":"EARLY MEDIEVAL","numdate1":"1000","numdate2":"1100","description":"
A copper-alloy sword pommel of 11th century date. The pommel is sub-triangular in plan with a curved base. The sides are steeply curving with a slight break in the slope part of the way up. At the top of the pommel is a small rectangular open collar through which the tang of the blade would have been secured. The pommel is rectangular in cross-section.<\/p>\n
Both sides of the pommel are decorated with two inward curving scroll motifs. The interior perimeter of each scroll is openwork, though parts are now closed with corrosion. A pair of engraved lines decorate the curved base on both sides. The base metal of the pommel is reddish-purple in colour with patches of green patina.<\/p>\n
The pommel measures 56mm wide, 34mm in length and 14mm deep. The opening at the top measures 9mm by 5mm. The internal opening at the base measures 54mm by 9mm.<\/p>\n
This pommel is almost identical to LEIC-9158C3, discovered in Leicestershire.<\/p>\n
The curved base and engraved lines hint at the development of this sword pommel from a type with a separate guard. Likewise the steeply curving sides with a slight break in slope part of the way up may reflect the pommel's development from a more lobate form.<\/p>\n
The pommel is probably a late development of Petersen's (1919: figs. 124-129) type X, transitional to medieval forms. Copper-alloy pommels with this basic shape are rare but not unknown in Viking Age Europe; there is a reasonably close example from Lough Derg, County Tipperary (in the National Museum of Ireland; Peirce 2002: 140-141) and another from Chetwynd Aston and Woodcote, Shropshire, recorded on the PAS database (HESH-920B71). Although neither of these pommels have complex decoration, the symmetrical Ringerike-style engraving is very like that commonly found on stirrup-strap mounts of the 11th century (Williams 1997: 26-34). Petersen's type X is normally dated to the 10th to 11th centuries, and the decoration dates this particular example to the 11th century.<\/p>","notes":null,"reuse":null,"created":"2012-01-20 10:48:47","updated":"2012-03-17 15:47:13","secwfstage":"4","findofnote":null,"objecttypecert":"1","datefound1":"2012-01-01","datefound2":null,"inscription":null,"disccircum":null,"museumAccession":null,"subsequentAction":"1","objectCertainty":"1","dateFromCertainty":"1","dateToCertainty":"1","dateFoundFromCertainty":null,"dateFoundToCertainty":null,"subPeriodFrom":"3","subPeriodTo":"1","reason":null,"username":"adaubney","fullname":"Adam Daubney","institution":"LIN","usernameUpdate":"wscott","fullnameUpdate":"Wendy Scott","primaryMaterial":"Copper alloy","secondaryMaterial":null,"decoration":null,"style":null,"manufacture":"Cast","surfaceTreatment":null,"completeness":"Complete","preservation":null,"cert":"Certain","periodFrom":"EARLY MEDIEVAL","periodTo":"MEDIEVAL","culture":"Anglo-Scandinavian","discmethod":"Metal detector","finder":null,"identifier":" Adam Daubney","secondaryIdentifier":null,"recorder":" Adam Daubney","county":"NORFOLK","parish":"TILNEY ALL SAINTS","district":"KINGS LYNN AND WEST NORFOLK","easting":null,"northing":null,"gridref":null,"fourFigure":"TF5517","map25k":"TF5517","map10k":"TF51NE","address":null,"postcode":null,"findspotdescription":null,"lat":null,"lon":null,"knownas":null,"source":"From Map","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":"365289","f":"LIN2012-100.jpg","imagedir":"images\/adaubney\/"}]}