Rights Holder: St. Albans District Council
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Unique ID: BH-00B335
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A copper-alloy strap-end, dating from the Early-Medieval to Medieval periods.
The widest part of the strap-end is at the top, where the two plates of a split attachment are joined to each other by two copper-alloy rivets. Below this attachment, the straight sides of the flat-sectioned, plain body converge. The terminal, which extends to just below halfway up, takes the form of a moulded, forward-facing zoomorphic mask. The uppermost feature of this head is a pair of crescentic ears; below this, the sides bow inwards before flaring at the snout. Traces of an unidentified substance (possibly iron corrosion or mineralised leather) adhere to the upper surface of the corroded object.
Length: 33.8mm; width: 11.6mm; thickness: 4.1mm. Weight: 5.91g.
This strap-end would appear to be a variant of Thomas's Class B strap-ends, a type which is thought to have spanned the period of the late 8th to 11th centuries (Thomas 2003: 4). The general style of decoration, and the appearance of the metalwork, suggests that this particular example was probably made around the 11th century.
Class: Thomas Class B, variant type
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1000
Date to: Circa AD 1100
Quantity: 1
Length: 33.8 mm
Width: 11.6 mm
Thickness: 4.1 mm
Weight: 5.91 g
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 20th April 2014
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Other reference: Ver 14/67 - 101
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thomas, G. | 2003 | Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking-age Strap-Ends 750-1100: Part I | Lincolnshire | Finds Research Group AD 700-1700. |