STIRRUP

Four cast copper alloy fragments probably three from the same Early Medieval stirrup-strap mount of Williams Class A, type 12 dating to the 11th century and an associated piece. This was a diamond-shaped mount composed of four openwork lozenges arranged around a central diagonal cross, with flat base and a loop at the top. The fragments that survive are (1) the complete frame of the left-hand side lozenge, (2) a piece comprising of the upper loop and the incomplete frames of the upper and right-hand lozenges, (3) a base fragment including the incomplete frames of the lower and right-hand side lozenges and (4) an associated, but unidentified fragmnt, possibly a back plate from the mount or part of another stirrup fitting.

The the left-hand lozenge (1) is very worn, with old breaks at the corners and some very thinned sides. One corner has a raised pellet on the front, which was at the centre of the mount, and stubs of the other arms which continued to form the framework of the other lozenges. This fragment is 14.0mm by 13.9mm and 3.9mm thick; it weighs 1.37 grams.

The piece comprising of the upper loop (2) includes the upper-right edge of the mount and stubs of projecting arms with a thickened pellet at the right corner and pellets between the upper point and outer points of the top lozenge. The loop is circular and filled with iron corrosion. This fragment is 25.7mm long, 21.1mm wide and 5.4mm thick; it weighs 3.60 grams.

The base fragment (3) comprises the lower sides of the lower lozenge frame and two small arms at the on the right that project upwards to make the lower point of the right-hand side lozenge. The base is flat. There are pellets at the front on the far left and right. Also on the front are sub-circular raised accumulations of what is probably iron-oxide, indicating that there are two rivet holes here. The reverse of the fragment is smooth and flat except where rough-textured iron oxide adheres to the piece, any flange is lost. This fragment is 19.9mm by 14.9mm and 5.1mm thick; it weighs 3.08g.

The fourth fragment (4), is roughly lozenge-shaped and almost entirely covered in iron pan or iron corrosion with only the edge and corners protruding. These show the breaks are very worn at the corners. It was found together with the first fragment and almost certainly associated but its function or position is not clear. It may have been part of a back-plate similar to the one shown in Williams (1997:72) No. 319. It measures 13.9mm by 11.8m and is 1.5mm thick (excluding the iron pan); it weighs 1.93 including the iron pan.

These appear to be fragments of a Williams Class A, type 12 openwork stirrup-strap mount (1997, 71), typically dated to the 11th century. This is a large group with no obvious distribution pattern, although like most stirrup-strap mounts they are concentrated in the south and east (ibid:21, 23, 69). SUR-822D4D is a similar but complete example on this database.