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BELL
Unique ID: SWYOR-25ACEB
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An iron hand bell of probable Early Medieval date, AD 700 - 1100. It has a rounded rectangular opening at the base, and tapers to the top so the two main faces are rectangular and the sides are triangular. It was made by folding a sheet of iron, so there is a seam down the centre of each side. There are two broken projections from the top, which were probably part of a ring handle; one can be seen extending into the inside of the bell too. The clapper is missing. The surface is rusted and has lumps of corrosion. There is no visible copper surface, so it is not possible to say if the bell was brazed or not. It is 87mm tall, 69mm wide and 56mm thick. The wall is 2.7mm thick. 131.3g.
Similar bells on the PAS database include LANCUM-0898F4, WMID-09C695 and LIN-B17DA7 and other from the same site. There is also an interesting collection from Flixborough (Ottaway in Evan and Loveluck, 2009, page 141). It is argued that brazed bells of similar construction may have been used for ecclesiastical purposes, or as animal bells. See Wilmott and Daubney (2020) for a discussion: https://www.academia.edu/40399668/Of_saints_sows_or_smiths_Copper_brazed_iron_handbells_in_Early_Medieval_England
Find of note status
This is a find of note and has been designated: County / local importance
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 700
Date to: Circa AD 1100
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Height: 87 mm
Width: 69 mm
Thickness: 56 mm
Weight: 131.3 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 2nd November 2021 - Tuesday 2nd November 2021
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber (European Region)County or Unitary authority: North Yorkshire (County)
District: Craven (District)
Parish or ward: Kettlewell with Starbotton (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SD9770
Four figure Latitude: 54.12584779
Four figure longitude: -2.04739907
1:25K map: SD9770
1:10K map: SD97SE
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Workflow: Awaiting validation
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Timeline of associated dates
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