Rights Holder: North Lincolnshire Museum
CC License:
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Unique ID: NLM-8F9E07
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
Lead and copper alloy weight. Cast lead weight with inset copper alloy object, possibly a fragment of a Late Roman coin - it resembles a bearded bust trimmed from a radiate issue of circa 260-275, though this appearance may be fortuitous. The lead is patinated overall. The use of weights with insets is considered characteristic of Viking Age activity. This example was either casually made or has been partly melted. Its mass falls within 0.3gms of a Viking Dublin unit of 4.43gms. Suggested date: Early Medieval, 850-950.
Length: 19.2mm, Width: 15.7mm, Thickness: 3.9mm, Weight: 4.71gms.
Notes:
The subject of Viking Age metrology is discussed for Flixborough, North Lincolnshire by Wastling 2009 (Wastling, L.M., 'Lead and lead alloy mensuration weights', in Evans, D.H. and Loveluck, C., Life and Economy at Early Flixborough c.AD600-1000, Excavations at Flixborough volume 2, Oxbow, Oxford and Oakville, pages 422-424). Wastling draws on Wallace 1987 for weights from Dublin using a module of 4.43gms (Wallace, P.F. 'The Economy and Commerce of Viking Age Dublin', in K. Duwel et al, Untersuchengen zu Handel und Verkher der vor- und fruhgeschichtlichen Zeit in Mittel- und Nordeuropoa, Teil IV. Der Handel der Karolingerund Wikingerzeit, Gottingen), and on Kruse (1988, 1992) for weights of a more general Scandinavian currency using a module of 4.07gms (Kruse, S. 1988, 'Ingots and Weights in Viking Age Silver Hoards', World Archaeology 20, 265-381; Kruse, S. 1992, 'Late Saxon Balances and Weights from England', Medieval Archaeology 36, 67-95). Kruse bases calculations on Nielsen 1983, on Hedeby, to arrive at the figure of 4.07gms (Nielsen, H-O, 1983, 'Rontgenologische und metrische Untersuchungen an zwei Kugel-Gewichtssatzen aus Haithabu', Berichte uber die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu 18, 109-120, Neumunster). These details were requested by Helen Geake, though this reporter regrets his lack of facility with the imposition of appropriate accents for the Continental sources cited by Wastling. These appear in their proper form in the bibliography of the Flixborough volume.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Viking style
Date from: Circa AD 850
Date to: Circa AD 950
Quantity: 1
Length: 19.2 mm
Width: 15.7 mm
Thickness: 3.9 mm
Weight: 4.71 g
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 12th March 2012
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Other reference: NLM20008a
Primary material: Lead
Secondary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
4 Figure: SE9024
Four figure Latitude: 53.704682
Four figure longitude: -0.638104
1:25K map: SE9024
1:10K map: SE92SW
Grid reference source: Centred on field
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.