STRAP END

An early Medieval cast copper alloy strap end. The strap end has two components, a long rectangular shaft and a wedge-shaped split at the widest terminal. The shaft is elongated sub-triangular in plan and a sub-rectangule in section. The narrowest terminal is slightly bulbous and moulded with an outline of a lozenge on the upper surface. Behind this terminal the strap end is narrowed and is decorated with two perpendicular linear grooves after an undecorated section. The second component of the strap end is the integral wedge shaped split. In profile this component is a '>' shape which has a incomplete rivet holes in each corner of each plate. The reverse of the strap end is undecorated. The surface of the strap end has an incomplete well developed dark grey-green patina. The strap end measures 41.36mm long, 8.29mm wide and 4.47mm thick. It weighs 5g.

Thomas (Thomas, G. 2003 'Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking-Age Strap Ends 750-1100: Part I' Finds Research Group AD 700-1700 Datasheet 32) classifies these type of strap ends as Class B. Class B Type 1 has a similar zoomorphic terminal to the recorded example. Class B Type 2 has a Trewhiddle designed panel on the wedge-shaped split component, but the shaft is undecorated and the zoomorphic terminal is not similar in style. Class B Type 3 has a Trewhiddle designed panel on the wedge-shaped split component and decoration on the shaft, but this decoration is a series of scrolls. The recorded example is probably considered a variant of Thomas's Class B Types 1, 2 and 3 and probably dates to the 9th century.