Introduction Horseshoes are worthy of study because of the light they shed on metalling of roads and extent of horse transport. Changes in their form and approach to their attachment can, in a broad sense, illuminate changes in horse stature. Some of the horseshoes recorded also have the potential to shine a sidelight on animal care …more
Category: Early Medieval
AD 410 – AD 1066
Seaxes (2001 guide)
Please note that this guide has not been fundamentally changed from the original print version of the Finds Recording Guide (Geake 2001), written when the database contained just 8,800 non-numismatic records. Introduction There is a particular kind of large early-medieval knife known as a ‘seax’ (pronounced ‘sax’; from the Old English word for knife) which …more
Stirrup Terminals
Introduction In the late early-medieval period, and early in the medieval period, certain stirrups were composites made of two metals: primarily iron, but with copper-alloy fittings. At the end of the tread-plate, at the stirrup’s base, where it connected to the arms, there was either a connecting or applied copper-alloy ‘stirrup terminal’. PAS object type …more
Tweezers (2001 guide)
Please note that this guide has not been fundamentally changed from the original print version of the Finds Recording Guide (Geake 2001), written when the database contained just 8,800 non-numismatic records. Introduction There are essentially three types of tweezers, all easy to recognise but hard to date. First there are those made from sheet, with …more
Forks
Introduction In England, people mostly ate using knives, fingers and spoons prior to the post-medieval period (Leahy and Lewis 2018, 180). Consequently, the PAS has not recorded many table forks; the majority are iron from the 17th century onwards, although a few copper-alloy early-medieval forks have been recorded. Post-medieval table forks had two prongs initially, …more
Padlocks
Introduction A padlock is a detachable, hanging lock which can be easily moved around. All padlocks essentially have two halves, either hinged or separate, which are pulled apart to open the padlock and locked shut to close it. For padlock keys, see the separate guide to keys. PAS object type(s) to be used We use …more
Styli, pencils and parchment-prickers
Introduction A stylus (plural styli) is a writing implement used to scratch letters into the wax of a writing tablet. A pencil makes a coloured mark on wood, paper or parchment. A writing tablet was usually made from wood or bone and had slightly recessed panels filled with wax (see, for example, the early-medieval Blythburgh …more
Ceramics (including the Pottery Guide)
The PAS has produced a guide to the recording of pottery vessels which can be downloaded as a pdf here: PAS Pottery Recording Guide. Other ceramic items (clay pipes, ceramic lamps and moulds, kiln furniture and so on) are briefly noted towards the end of the Pottery Recording Guide, with recommendations as to the object …more
Papal Bullae
Introduction Papal bullae are lead seals that were attached to papal documents to guarantee their authenticity. A bulla was attached to its document using a silk or hemp cord, threaded through the vellum and then passed through the bulla itself, from top to bottom. A new obverse die was made for each new pope, with …more
Brooches
Introduction A brooch is essentially a pin with something (a plate, a frame etc) joining the two ends, effectively keeping the pin from falling out of the costume. It can be used for fastening things together, or just for decoration. PAS object type to be used Use BROOCH for all brooches, whether they are bow …more