STRAP END

A Middle/Late Early Medieval copper alloy strap-end of Thomas' Class B Type 1 (750-1050 AD). The strap end is triangular in form, with a wedge-shaped split end and broken terminal, which commonly depicts a simplistic zoomorphic head, now missing. The terminal end measures 4.37 mm wide and 3.06 mm thick. Overall the strap end measures 35.84 mm long, 8.91 mm wide (split end), 4.37 mm wide (terminal end) and weighs 4.04 grams.

The flat-ended split end and shaft are plain, save for a series of three transverse grooves at the middle and four similar grooves near where the terminal would have been. The split end measures 8.91 mm wide and 4.15 mm thick. There are two intact copper alloy circular rivets, each measuring approximately 2.30 mm in diameter; the rivets connect both plates of the split end and would have held the leather strap in place. The strap end has an even green patina, with some iron corrosion on the underside, suggesting association with another object composed of iron, instead of copper alloy.

Thomas comments that this type was introduced in the latter 8th or early 9th century and remained popular until the 11th. It is widely distributed in southern and south-east England and much less frequently north of The Wash. For a similar example, cf. Thomas, Finds Research Group, Datasheet 32, Fig. 2, No. 13. Cf. also : West, 1998, A Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Material from Suffolk. East Anglian Archaeology, Report No. 84, p166, Fig. 49, No. 5.