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HARNESS FITTING
Unique ID: NMGW-41F3E4
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
Late Iron Age to early Roman copper alloy terret of uncertain type, possibly a mini-terret and probably of 1st century BC to 1st century AD date The terret is broken into two pieces across the hoop and a small piece of the hoop has been lost. The hoop is of unusual form being of flat section with a thickness of 1.57mm and a width of 7.8mm. The two fragments of the terret have a combined weight of 8.3g. The hoop had a maximum external width of 38.8mm (23.9mm internal). No decoration is evident on either face of the hoop. There is the suggestion of wear facets on the interior of the hoop, positioned to one side and near the top. The integral bar is of flat section and has a length of 16.23mm, a width of 6.83-7.43mm and a thickness of 1.76mm. The bar terminals are oval (11.02mm long, 7.92mm deep) and are flat on the bar side and domed on the hoop side (with a thickness of 4.10mm). Remains of a single vertical incised line is discernible at the base of the bar terminals. The surface of the terret is encrusted with a pale brown deposit and with red brown iron corrosion.
Notes:
Spartling (1972) defines mini-terrets as having a width of less than 28mm, this example lies outside that range, with a width of 38.8mm. Nevertheless the terret is small and may have functioned as a mini-terret, possibly associated with a linchpin. The author is unaware of a parallel for a terret with a hoop of flat section. Found in the vicinity was a plain copper alloy ring of D-shaped section and of 67mm external diameter. The width of the ring varies from 8.0mm at the break to 11.3mm at the opposite end. The ring has a thickness of 4.8mm and weighs 47.6g. No decoration is evident on the ring and the surface has a deep mid-green patina.
Class:
terret
Sub class: miniature
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: IRON AGE
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: IRON AGE
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: 100 BC
Date to: AD 100
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Width: 38.8 mm
Thickness: 1.76 mm
Weight: 8.3 g
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: NMGWPA 2006.37.1
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: South West (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
District: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish or ward: Grittleton (Civil Parish)
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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