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HARNESS PENDANT

Unique ID: NMGW3358

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Published

Fragment of a copper alloy horse harness pendant with an integral suspension loop and curved, sloping shoulders. Only a corroded fragment of the pendant survives and it is not possible to identify its original form with certainty; however, the extant sloping shoulders suggest that it may be an example of a Type V, quatrefoil pendant (Ward Perkins 1940, 118, fig.38). No evidence of decoration survives; however, the pendant is perforated by a sub-rectangular fixing hole c.11mm below the suspension loop suggesting that it may have been embellished with an appliqué mount or stud. Surviving height 42mm, surviving width 24mm, thickness 1-1.5mm, weight 2.7 grams.

Notes:

The study of medieval manuscript illustrations suggests that the pendants were hung from the breast-band, and occasionally the rear strap and brow-band, of a horse's harness (Griffiths 1986,1). The pendants were usually suspended by an iron pin passing through the integral loop from rectangular or circular mounts, distinguished by double loops, which were in turn riveted to the leather harness (Griffiths 1986, 2). Dating of harness pendants is difficult because of the lack of known, well-stratified examples (Griffiths 1995, 61); however, the majority of quatrefoil pendants recovered from recent excavations in London probably date from the twelfth to thirteenth century AD (Griffiths 1995, 65-68, nos.62-66, fig.49)

Subsequent actions

Current location of find: returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Date from: AD 1066
Date to: AD 1540

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 42 mm
Width: 24 mm
Weight: 2.7 g

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st January 2001

Personal details

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Other reference numbers

Other reference: NMGWPA: 2001.86.3

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Completeness: Fragment

Spatial metadata

Region: South West (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
District: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish or ward: Kington Langley (Civil Parish)

Spatial coordinates

4 Figure: ST9277
Four figure Latitude: 51.491887
Four figure longitude: -2.116621
1:25K map: ST9277
1:10K map: ST97NW
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
Current location: returned to finder
General landuse: Other
Specific landuse: Unknown

References cited

Author	Publication Year	Title	Publication Place	Publisher	Pages	Reference
Griffiths, N.	1986	Horse Harness Pendants		Finds Research Group 700-1700 Datasheet 5
Griffiths, N.	1995	Harness pendants and associated fittings		Museum of London

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Timeline of associated dates

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Audit data

Recording Institution: NMGW
Created: 22 years ago
Updated: 13 years ago

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