STAFF

A cast copper-alloy ornamental cross-staff head mount (length: 57.8mm; width: 35.5mm; thickness of metal: 5.5mm, although thickness does vary; weight: 80.17g). The cuboid head consists of a latticed openwork design on all four sides as well as the top which reaches upwards to form a pyramid. The openwork seems to resemble a floral decoration on each of the four sides, with four petals forming a sub-square face with slightly protruding knobs at each of the four corners as well as one in the centre. Outside this central decoration, on each of the four main faces, there are further openwork holes on each side. Each face has an octagonal border or outer edge. Leading to the collar below each of these faces, there is scrollwork patterning incised around the object, which may also resemble a floral or foliage design. At the bottom of the object, there is a double collar leading to the neck of the artefact (diameter: 23mm). Between these two collars at the base, there are four pierced holes, roughly arranged at right angles to each other (between 4 and 4.5mm in diameter). These holes may have been used for rivets to fix the head onto a staff.

The condition of the head or mount is fair, and the only damage is at the top of the artefact where the head reaches up into a pyramidal top. There is a substantial hole in the openwork design as the object seems to have been slightly flattened. It is unclear whether this is recent damage. It is difficult to identify the true colour of the artefact's patina as it has been coated in some type of lacquer. Nevertheless, the patina appears to be a dark green/brown colour with possible indications of bright green bronze disease near the base.

Similar examples have been found, mostly notably two artefacts in the Warwickshire Museum collections, found at Wellesbourne and Wixford. The Wellesbourne example is particularly similar and is illustrated in an article written by Simon Bailey, 'Two Copper Alloy Cross-Staff Heads from Warwickshire', in Medieval Archaeology 38 (1994) pages 171-5, fig 3. It has been noted by Bailey that further examples have been found at Dublin, Canterbury, London, Nottingham and Cambridgeshire. The Dublin example was dated to the mid 11th century (c.1020-30) by its archaeological context. The Canterbury example was dated to the end of the 11th century. However, there is not a clearly specific date for the other examples, so a more generalised date must be used.