Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: SF-2F0207
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
An incomplete cast lead-alloy whistle of uncertain date. It is rectangular in form, square in cross-section and hollow, missing part of the mouthpiece due to old breaks. At the end of the whistle is a separately cast circular end plate that tapers at its centre to a conical suspension loop. This has a circular terminal that is biconical in cross-section and has a central circular perforation. One side of the end cap, at the underside of the whistle, has some post-depositional damage. All of the exterior surfaces of the body of the whistle have moulded decoration. On the two sides this comprises single borders at top and bottom between which run multiple diagonal lines. The decoration on top and bottom surfaces is similar but the diagonal lines are wavy rather than straight. Towards the mouthpiece the top surface has an oval aperture or sound hole, through which can be seen an integral shaft or prong separating the interior beneath the sound hole into two halves. The mouth piece has a curved base and narrow opening, missing its upper edge due to old breaks. There is a transverse moulded ridge on the complete underside of the mouthpiece. The entire object measures 48.63mm in length, 14.11mm in diameter at end cap, 8.82mm in width, 8.67mm in thickness and 11.60g in weight.
This is a cast lead-alloy whistle of uncertain date, with no close parallel as yet identified. It is likely to be of Medieval or later date, with a most likely date range in the Post-Medieval to Modern periods (c.16th-19th centuries?), although a slightly earlier date cannot be ruled out entirely.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: UNKNOWN
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MODERN
Quantity: 1
Length: 48.63 mm
Width: 8.82 mm
Thickness: 8.67 mm
Weight: 11.6 g
Diameter: 14.11 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 20th August 2013
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Primary material: Lead Alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
No references cited so far.