BELL

An incomplete cast copper-alloy clapper-bell, conical in form with slightly convex sides, slightly flattened due to post-depositional damage. At the apex of the bell is an integrally cast suspension loop that is flat, lozenge-shaped and has a central circular perforation. The conical body has openwork decoration in its upper half, comprising four pairs of opposing triangles set one above the other base to base, separated by single apex-up triangles. It has a thickened rim with a shallow groove between the rim and body of the bell. The entire object measures 33.46mm in height, 22.78mm in diameter (slightly flattened), 1.35mm in thickness at rim, and weighs 6.64g.

Parallels for this bell are noted from Suffolk (see for example SF-0A9956, SF-2071B7 and SF-4A8FA1) and elsewhere (for example SF-2C7AE4, NARC-D9C172, YOYRM-FD6653 and SUR-B48E74).

This type of bell has been briefly considered by Schoenfelder and Richards (2011, 153-4). It appears to be a regional type, being confined to an area south of the Wash-Severn line. There is very little dating evidence to go on at present, but many examples have externally angled and internally circular loops which can be paralleled among certain Roman finds (compare those from Roman contexts published by Clarke 1970-71).