SUNDIAL

A distorted fragment from a cast copper-alloy post-medieval pocket sundial (c. 17th century AD). This example is of the simple ring type. It has been flattened, bent round at both broken ends, the sundial originally having been circular in plan. Part of the copper-alloy ring survives with a rectangular channel cut in the centre. This once contained a separate sliding collar, which is now missing, and which would have attached to the suspension loop (also missing). The remainder of the median area is recessed. On the external surface, above and below the channel, there are inscribed measurement lines, above which the first letters of the months of the year: 'I F M A' (the earlier months) above, and 'N D' (the latest months) below, upside down and retrograde; the other months are on the sections that have been lost. Circumferential lines below the letters continue round the whole external face, as do the lines that border the earlier months' letters above. Below the former lines, below the letters, are incised transverse lines which act as gradation marks.

On the interior there is a pair of similar incised lines directly below the channel that go around the whole surface. There are further incised circumferential lines acting as borders. In the solid zone are punched dots over the central pair of lines, the first of which has '12' stamped over it. Those below have numerals denoting pairs of hours: '11' and '1', '10' and '2', where the lower hours are upside down by comparison. The object has corroded to a red-brown colour with some patches of light-green corrosion product. This type of sundial can be found illustrated in Bailey (1995, 8; ref. 1).