Unlocking the Database – A Brief Look at Keys

Hello again readers of the PAS blog. In preparation for the blog post this month, I began my usual trawl through the database. A certain class of objects struck me immediately. Keys are something we all have rattling around – they hang off lanyards and on novelty keychains, in jumbles of bronze and silver. The banality of the key disguises its significance and longevity.

The fact is, keys have been carried for centuries. Then as now, keys would have been turned and jammed, fumbled with in the dark after a night at the pub, dropped and lost. The rattle of keys is a lived experience which traverses time.

The following examples from Roman and Medieval Britain illustrate the diversity of key design. While the doors may be long gone, the keys survive.

Illustration of a person with large red wings, wearing a crown, pokes a man with a large gold key in the heart. The winged person wears a blue robe, and holds one hand below their chin. The man wears red tights, and a blue and pink tunic. The scene is set on an intricate background of diamond fleur-de-lis tiles. — Keys unlock more than just doors, this framed miniature shows the God of Love locking the Lover’s heart with a large gold key. Guillaume de Lorris, continued by Jean de Meun, *Roman de la Rose*, published in France c.1380. Image courtesy of the British Library, Creative Commons.

The Romans are attributed with inventing the metal key and lock mechanism. While wooden locks and keys were used in the ancient Near East, these could deteriorate over time and be easily forced open. The Romans created ‘warded’ locks. A series of projections (wards) inside the lock corresponded to a key with matching slots. Any other key would not turn inside a warded lock.

These examples from Wiltshire (WILT-C592D7) and Lincolnshire (LIN-CA7623) are Roman ‘finger keys.’ These key-rings usually unlocked small chests containing personal or valuable possessions. Keys could also be status objects, with highly decorated handles and shafts.

Photograph of a small gold coloured finger ring, with a projecting tooth. When worn, the tooth would lie flat against the finger. When removed, this ring could be used as a key. — A fashionable and functional copper alloy ‘finger-key’ for a warded lock (AD 200-410). Found in Wiltshire by a metal-detectorist and documented by the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum. WILT-C592D7. Copyright: Portable Antiquities Scheme, License: CC-BY-SA.

Photograph of a small copper coloured finger ring, with a projecting tooth. When worn, the tooth would lie flat against the finger. When removed, this ring could be used as a key. — Key to keeping your possessions safe, this cast copper alloy ‘finger-key’ would have been worn (AD 250-300). Found in Lincolnshire by a metal-detectorist and documented by the Lincolnshire County Council. LIN-CA7623. Copyright: Portable Antiquities Scheme, License: CC-BY-SA.

Keys could also be status objects, with highly decorated handles and shafts. This zoomorphic key handle from Nottinghamshire is a fierce example (SWYOR-F1D5D6). The elaborate decoration is both an opulent accessory and subtle warning, intruders keep away from those claws!

Photograph of a handle detached from the key. Dark green in colour. Depicts a lion with its front paws outstretched, grabbing the disembodied head of a ram. The lions back paws are curled underneath its body, and attached to a square base. — Flashy keys like this cast copper alloy example indicates status (AD 43-400). The key handle depicts a lion attacking a ram. Found in Nottinghamshire and documented by the West Yorkshire Archaeology Service. SWYOR-F1D5D6. Copyright: Portable Antiquities Scheme, License: CC-BY-SA.

In Medieval Britain, keys were a common technology. Door locks and keys were affordable, due to the quality of iron used to produce them. In 1422, a guild of “lockyers” is listed as active in London. If you look closely at this 1451 illumination of a locksmith, you can spot a range of toothed keys, much like the following iron example found in London (PUBLIC-55E9E8).

Illustration of a man sitting at a low work table. Behind him is a kiln, with metal tongs in the entrance. In his right hand he holds a hammer, as his left holds a black square, potentially a metal sheet. Keys and metal tools litter the table. The man wears a long rust coloured tunic and brown boots. He has a grey beard and curled hair. — A German locksmith hammering out keys. Hans Schelhamer, *Amb. 317.2 Folio 72 verso (Mendel I)*, published in Germany in 1451. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.

Photograph of a brown/grey key, with a long shaft and large square toothed projection. The handle is a length of iron, bent into a flat heart shape. — Medieval iron key circa AD 1200-1300. Found in London and documented by the Portable Antiquities Scheme. PUBLIC-55E9E8. Copyright: Portable Antiquities Scheme, License: CC-BY-SA.

Keys also acquired a symbolic significance in this period. This illumination of Jesus handing a key to Peter could represent the path to heavenly salvation. This key found in Warwickshire features similar religious connotations, with an incised and openwork cross incorporated into the design (WAW-E49DD4).

Illustration of two men, against the background of a large blue 'S' within a gold square. The man on the left receives a large white key. He holds it with both hands. He wears a blue tunic with a pink wrap. He has a grey beard and grey hair, balding on the top. He has a blue halo. The man on the right holds the key with one hand, the other holding his green wrap over a red tunic. He has long blonde hair. He has a pink halo with two white lines at the top, right and left. — Jesus giving Peter the “keys to the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 16:19) in the margin of sheet music. Gerwich, *W.754 Two leaves from an Antiphonary* *fol. W.754Br*, published in 1310. Image courtesy of Digitised Walters Manuscripts, Creative Commons.

Photograph of a dark green/brown key. It has a large projecting square tooth, with a cross incised into the centre. The handle is decorated with a round projection. A cross is contained within the circle to create four quadrants. The round projection is topped with a small knob. — Medieval copper alloy key circa AD 1150-1450 featuring two crosses. Could this have opened a church door? Found in Warwickshire and documented by the Birmingham Museums Trust. WAW-E49DD4. Medieval iron key circa AD 1200-1300. Copyright: Portable Antiquities Scheme, License: CC-BY-SA.

You can find more keys, of all shapes and sizes, on the PAS database. It’s essential that finds are reported to your local FLO. By adding your finds to the PAS database and making them accessible to all, you are contributing to the rich story of British history.

References

https://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?MSID=7802&CollID=27&NStart=42133&_ga=2.23268666.1609753948.1653488868-31936432.1653488868

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mendel_I_072_v.jpg

https://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/W754/data/W.754/master/W754_000003_619.tif

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/458950

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/480556

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/105599

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/562985

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/864228

https://medievallondon.ace.fordham.edu/exhibits/show/medieval-london-objects-3/key

https://www.britannica.com/technology/key-lock-device

https://www.britannica.com/technology/lock-security