Rights Holder: North Lincolnshire Museum
CC License:
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
Unique ID: NLM-3772CD
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
Lead weight. Cast bun-shaped weight with sunken patches on its flat upper and lower sides. Lightly patinated overall. The recesses may mark the loss of embedded objects, which are considered a diagnostic feature of Early Medieval (probably Middle Saxon to Viking-Age) weights. Their apparent loss tends to vitiate fine calculation based on the mass of the object, though in an Anglo-Saxon context this might have represented 16 drachma (of 3.41gms) - as per the Roman system. Suggested date: Early Medieval, 700-1000.
Diameter: 24.6mm, Thickness: 13.7mm, Weight: 55.36gms.
Notes:
The subject of Viking Age metrology is discussed for Flixborough, North Lincolnshire by Wastling 2009 (Wastling, L.M., 'Lead and lead alloy mensuration weights', in Evans, D.H. and Loveluck, C., Life and Economy at Early Flixborough c.AD600-1000, Excavations at Flixborough volume 2, Oxbow, Oxford and Oakville, pages 422-424). Wastling draws on Wallace 1987 for weights from Dublin using a module of 4.43gms (Wallace, P.F. 'The Economy and Commerce of Viking Age Dublin', in K. Duwel et al, Untersuchengen zu Handel und Verkher der vor- und fruhgeschichtlichen Zeit in Mittel- und Nordeuropoa, Teil IV. Der Handel der Karolingerund Wikingerzeit, Gottingen), and on Kruse (1988, 1992) for weights of a more general Scandinavian currency using a module of 4.07gms (Kruse, S. 1988, 'Ingots and Weights in Viking Age Silver Hoards', World Archaeology 20, 265-381; Kruse, S. 1992, 'Late Saxon Balances and Weights from England', Medieval Archaeology 36, 67-95). Kruse bases calculations on Nielsen 1983, on Hedeby, to arrive at the figure of 4.07gms (Nielsen, H-O, 1983, 'Rontgenologische und metrische Untersuchungen an zwei Kugel-Gewichtssatzen aus Haithabu', Berichte uber die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu 18, 109-120, Neumunster). These details were requested by Helen Geake, though this reporter regrets his lack of facility with the imposition of appropriate accents for the Continental sources cited by Wastling. These appear in their proper form in the bibliography of the Flixborough volume.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 700
Date to: Circa AD 1000
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 13.7 mm
Weight: 55.36 g
Diameter: 24.6 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 28th October 2014
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference: NLM26620a
Primary material: Lead
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Grid reference source: Centred on field
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
No references cited so far.