PENDANT

A ground and polished stone pendant of uncertain / unknown date c. 3500 BC - 1950 AD). The pendant is formed from a fine grained volcanic tuff (pers comm. Lockett) which is a mid grey - black colour with relatively no inclusions, as such it is well adapted for flaking, grinding and polishing. The pendant is broadly sub-rectangular in plan and section; it tapers win thickness and width toward the upper edge, which is pierced with a relatively circular hole. This hole has been drilled from two sides and the cross section of it is hour-glass shaped. The interior of the hole has marked scratching visible and does not seem to have been made with modern drills. A preferred method would be to use a bow drill and abrasive, such as sand. The scratches would indicate that this method may have been used. The edges and sides of the pendant are well smoothed and faceted. There are a few small surface scratches visible on one face, whilst the other has a more distinct dimple at its centre which may be deliberate. No scratched design is present.

A direct parallel has not been found for the pendant. The use of volcanic tuff is interesting and maybe suggests a prehistoric date (Neolithic - early Bronze Age) as similar stone is used to form polished stone axeheads. It is therefore possible that this may be formed on a waste flake of tuff. A similar pendant can be seen on the PAS database formed from a fragment of polished stone axe / or waste flake from the Langdale source shaped into a pendant discovered in Barnetby Le Wold, North Linconshire (NLM-16DAC2). However, Shrewsbury Museum has several 'prehistoric' whetstones - which may in fact be of medieval date - made of similar stone, these are similar thickness abut with smaller perforated holes and a longer length. Finally modern 'ethnic' stone jewellery, specifically from the Polynesian Islands in the South Pacific, also resembles this artefact. Hence the broad date ranges. It is my opinion, due to the surrounding lithic scatters in the area that this is most likely to be of prehistoric date.

The pendant measures: 33.4mm length, is 17.2mm wide, 6.0mm thick and weighs 5.98 grams.