Introduction Button-and-loop fasteners seem to have been multi-purpose, some perhaps for horse-harness (especially the chunkier earlier ones) and some for human clothing (Worrell 2008, 341). Their core distribution in lowland Scotland and northern England, has been extended southwards by PAS finds, which are now well known from Yorkshire and the Humber, the East and West …more
Category: Roman
AD 43 – AD 410
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
Spurs
Introduction A spur is fixed to the heel of a rider and used for directing the horse and encouraging it forwards. Because they are worn by the human, but only used for riding a horse, they sit awkwardly between dress accessories and horse equipment. Buckles were used for fastening spurs, and at least some can …more
How to Record a Coin
Introduction The main difference between recording a coin (or jetton, token etc) and any other object is that for a coin there is an extra form to complete, in addition to the standard finds form, findspot form, and so on. Coins are standard, mass-produced objects, and the numismatic forms are set up to capture this …more
Seal Boxes
Introduction Roman wax seals were made by pouring wax into a copper-alloy box. These boxes have a base and a lid; the base has notches in the sides to allow a cord (to be fastened by the seal) to enter the box, a number of holes in the base, and a double hinge loop; the …more
How to Identify Fabulous and Mythical Beasts
Fabulous beasts are found on many types of object. They are not common in the early-medieval world, but develop in the medieval period when they are also found in bestiaries (books with descriptions and pictures of real and mythical beasts). They also occur in Greek and Roman myths, and are much used in heraldry. Here is a list of …more
Spindle Whorls
Introduction Spindle whorls are perforated weights from wooden drop spindles. Their weight helped give the spindle momentum in the twisting, or spinning, of fibres into yarn, for later making into textiles. Various materials were used for spindle whorls: stone (various, often local, types), shale, ceramic (baked clay, reused vessel sherds), animal skeletal material (bone, antler), wood, and …more
Needles (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 Like sewing pins and lace-tags, these slender objects do not survive well in ploughsoil. Their head ends can be recognised because the long …more
Harness Mounts
Introduction There is an enormous variety of harness mounts, and they can be hard to distinguish from other mounted to straps in other circumstances. Primarily, but specifically, for medieval artefacts, use this term for the following: Shield-shaped mounts (and mounts of rarer forms) with integral rivets on their reverse (often called ‘studs’) Suspension mounts for …more
Harness Pendants and related fittings (2001 guide)
Harness pendants are decorative items hung from harness. They were mainly used in the Roman, early-medieval and medieval periods and usually have no function other than as decoration.
