TOILET ARTICLE

Roman copper alloy pick or probe, probably from a cosmetic set. The shaft of the pick is oval in section and tapers evenly in width and thickness from just below the head to the point. At the head end the shaft is decorated with two reel mouldings, sections marked off by incised lines running around the shaft. Both mouldings are decorated with closely spaced incised diagonal lines. The lines on the two reels are at about 120 degres to each other. The shaft starts to thin through these mouldings before flattening abruptly at the top and expanding into a flat oval head with a large, worn, off-centre circular pircing though it. The shaft is now bent in two places but was probably originally straight. A seam down the shaft indicates it was made by rolling. The entire piece is about 56mm long, 52mm excluding the head.The head is 5.5mm across and 1.1mm thick and the shaft is 3.9mm by 3.3mm at the thickest point. The entire piece weighs 2.72 grams.

While picks are perhaps more common in the Early Medieval period, examples are known from the Roman pariod, and unlike Early Medieval examples, are decorated. A close parallel, also with reel moulding is illustrated by Crummy (1983:61-2) no.1940 from a later 1st to early 2nd century context (AD 60-125), SUR-0666A3 on this database is also similar. Given the widespread use of specific tools for nail cleaning in this period such picks are probably used for some other function, perhaps as tooth picks.