ASSEMBLAGE

A small assemblage of seven cast copper-alloy objects dating to between the Roman and Early-Medieval periods, c.200-1100 AD.

1) An incomplete Roman zoomorphic plate brooch in the form of a running hare or rabbit, missing its snout, foreleg and pin due to old breaks. It has a triangular head with circular eyer that has a recessed annuler field containing black enamel. Behind the head is a short (incomplete?) oval shaped ear with central groove. The body is sub-rectangular, tapering towards an oval shaped hind quarter with projecting and incomplete rectangular leg. A short and incomplete front leg is also visible at the base of the plate. The front face has three large recessed fields for enamelled decoration, the central field containing black enamel, the other two fields now empty due to post-depositional damage. On the back face of the plate is an integrally cast catchplate (at head end), with corresponding semi-circular pin lug (at hind) that holds in place the incomplete remains of the copper-alloy wire spring and pin. The entire object measures 28.29mm in length, 12.97mm in width/height, 1.33mm in thickness and 2.36g in weight. This brooch is Roman in date, c.2nd century AD.

2) A cast copper-alloy hooked tag of Early-Medieval/Anglo-Saxon date. It has a flat, triangular plate with scalloped attachment end and a single central circular sewing hole. At the base extends an integrally cast, rear-facing hook that has a moulded transverse collar with triangular notches and tapers to a sharp point. The entire object measures 17.33mm in length, 11.01mm in width, 0.94mm in thickness and 0.59g in weight. It is of Anglo-Saxon date, c.600-1100 AD.

3) A cast copper-alloy buckle frame of Early-Medieval/Anglo-Saxon date. It is as Marzinzik (2003) Type I.5 buckles, oval shaped in form with offset and narrowed cylindrical bar, concave back face and expanded outer edge. At the centre of the outer edge is a grooved pin rest. A separately cast copper-alloy pin hinges around the bar and is cylindrical in form with curved tip adnd three incised transverse grooves or notches at the bar end. The buckle measures 14.46mm in width, 9.98mm in length, 3.40mm in thickness and 1.23g in weight. This buckle is of Anglo-Saxon date, c.5th-6th centuries AD.

4) A cast copper-alloy pin of probable Early-Medieval/Anglo-Saxon date, missing its tip due to old breaks. The head is flat, lozenge shaped, with faceted edges and four punched ring and dot motifs on each side. At the base of the terminal is a transverse collar beneath whcih extends the integral shaft. This is cylindrical in form and terminates in old breaks just beneath the head. The entire object measures 35.56mm in length, 10.02mm in width, 2.57mm in thickness, 2.40mm in diameter at shaft, and weighs 1.66g. It is of Middle Anglo-Saxon date, c.720-900 AD.

5) An incomplete copper-alloy finger ring of Anglo-Saxon/Early-Medieval date. It is formed from a sheet of copper-alloy with an oval shaped bezel and tapering band, the ends of which terminate in old breaks. The front face of the bezel and the band are decorated with numerous unevenly spaced, and often overlapping, ring-and-dot motifs. It measures 16.58mm in current width, 7.53mm in height at bezel, 0.67mm in thickness at bezel, and weighs 0.67g. This is a finger ring of late Anglo-Saxon date with parallels noted from Norfolk (NMS-CCD822, NMS-48A786) and elsewhere (SF-E58167; Mainman and Rogers, 2000: nos. 10515, 10517). These suggest a date in the 9th-11th centuries AD for the current example.

6) A complete cast copper-alloy finger ring of possible Early-Medieval/Anglo-Saxon date. It has a flat band that is perhaps D-shaped in section that expands slightly to a projecting oval shaped bezel. The front fae of the bezel is flat and is decorated with fiv unevenly spaced punched ring and dot motifs. The entire object measures 18.31mm in length, 18.23mm in width, 13.21mm in height at bezel, 1.46mm in thickness at bezel, and 2.68g in weight. This finger ring is of probable Anglo-Saxon date, c.600-1100 AD.

7) An incomplete cast copper-alloy Early-Medieval/Anglo-Saxon strap end, probably of Thomas Class A5. It is missing half of the plate, attachment end and possibly part of the terminal end due to old breaks. The surviving plate is rectangular in form with the remains of two rectangular niello fields containing inlaid silver wire. The terminal is zoomorphic in form with large oval shaped ears that have central inverted V-shaped notches, between which is a sub-oval shaped niello field with inlaid silver wire. Beneath the ears extends an elongated snout that tapers towards a projecting terminal knop that is probably incomplete due to old breaks. The snout itself has a tapering rectangular niello field with inaid silver wire. The back face of the object is flat and undecorated. It measures 27.31mm in length, 14.28mm in width, 2.17mm in thickness and 3.73g in weight. This is an Anglo-Saxon strap end of Thomas's Class A5, defined by its form and niello with inlaid silver wire fields (Thomas, 2003). This suggests a 9th century AD date for the current example.