Rights Holder: West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service
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Unique ID: SWYOR-E56143
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
A Roman solid gold pendant in the shape of a phallus. The pendant has a broken and distorted grooved suspension loop and a simple representation of the male genitals, comprising testicles (one broken and missing) and erect penis, the glans depicted by a demarcating groove.
The pendant is similar to, though more rudimentary than, another solid gold example from Braintree, Essex (ESS-0CDDC1; Treasure case PEE 81). A more finely detailed hollow gold example has also been reported from Hillingdon, Norfolk (NMS-94CA46; 2011 T78). The phallus was a powerful apotropaic symbol throughout the Roman world and phallic amulets in a variety of materials were correspondingly popular and numerous.
As this object is more than 300 years old and has a precious metal content in excess of 10%, it meets the requirements of the 1996 Treasure Act.
Notes:
TVC Valuation 23/05/2012: £250
This is a find of note and has been designated: Potential for inclusion in Britannia
Class: phallic
Current location of find: British Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2011T808
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 43
Date to: Circa AD 410
Quantity: 1
Length: 19.98 mm
Width: 9.68 mm
Thickness: 2.9 mm
Weight: 1.86 g
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 6th November 2011
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Other reference: PAS form number 1686
Treasure case number: 2011T808
Primary material: Gold
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.