Rights Holder: Royal Institution of Cornwall
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Unique ID: CORN-91D625
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
Cast copper alloy bead, circular in plan and oval in profile, with a flattened top and bottom. The bead has been drilled once cast, so that it has a central perforation that is circular in plan and an hour-glass shape in profile. The initial aperture is 7 mm in diameter and then it narrows to the inner hole which is 4 mm in diameter. The surface of the bead is slightly pitted and damaged around the edge of the aperture but the general patina is a rich green colour and has survived well.
Beads with similar plans and profiles have been recorded on this database as dating from the Iron Age to the Roman period (see for example HAMP-8242B2, HAMP-HHBA62, IOW-7CC9B7). Such an attribution is not inconsistent with similar finds made in the vicinity, such as CORN-0A0AA5. But the recorder cannot find any excavated examples of bronze beads of this shape and size from these periods, when generally glass was used for beads, locally, so perhaps this is a fitting rather than an item of adornment.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: IRON AGE
Period from: IRON AGE
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa 700 BC
Date to: Circa AD 410
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 6.4 mm
Weight: 4.93 g
Diameter: 14.4 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Friday 25th May 2012 - Friday 25th May 2012
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
4 Figure: SW5638
Four figure Latitude: 50.191633
Four figure longitude: -5.41985
1:25K map: SW5638
1:10K map: SW58SE
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
No references cited so far.