SF8997: UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT

Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council Archaeology Service
CC License:


Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council Archaeology Service
CC License:

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UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT

Unique ID: SF8997

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Published Find published

An unidentified object made from lead. The base is rectangular (20 x 13 mm) with a rectangular projection at each corner bringing the maximum dimensions up to 23 x 17 mm; it is 10-11 mm thick. The rectangular projections continue up the base on the long edges but not on the short edges, giving a tapering effect.

The underside of the base has a series of scratched lines forming a rough ziz-zag of perhaps five points, with a line beneath them; the lines are patinated and look as if they might be original. On the top of the base are two tall cones which bend slightly towards each other. Their maximum diameter is 5 mm and they increase the height of the object to 23 mm.

This could possibly be a Viking playing piece. There is a roughly similar example in Graham-Campbell 1980 (no. 307), however this is very much smaller at 12.94g. All Viking and Late Anglo-Saxon experts consulted, however, (Susan Youngs, Leslie Webster, Caroline Paterson) do not recognise the object.

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: UNKNOWN
Period from: UNKNOWN

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 23 mm
Width: 23 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight: 36.96 g

Discovery dates

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

Personal details

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Materials and construction

Primary material: Lead

Spatial metadata

Region: Eastern (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Suffolk (County)
District: Suffolk Coastal (District)
To be known as: ORFORD

Spatial coordinates


Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
General landuse: Cultivated land
Specific landuse: Character undetermined

References cited

Author Publication Year Title Publication Place Publisher Pages Reference
Graham-Campbell, J. 1980 Viking Artefacts: A Select Catalogue British Museum Press # 307

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Audit data

Recording Institution: SF
Created: 21 years ago
Updated: 13 years ago

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