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PENCIL
Unique ID: NMS-F38087
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
Incomplete and bent medieval to post-medieval writing lead, round-sectioned and of constant diameter, point missing, other end flattened and widened into a triangle. Biddle 1990, Class II. Extant length 50mm. Diameter 4.5mm. Width of terminal 8mm. 12th - 16th century.
Writing leads like this follow the traditional shape of the earlier writing tablet styli, although it is unclear how effective a lead stylus would be for inscribing wax, and it seems more likely that they were used to make grey marks, as pencils. They are difficult to date as they have a long lifespan and examples of similar writing leads from Winchester ranged from 13th-15th century in date. However, it seems that some writing leads were also used in the post-medieval period and it is not inconceivable that this is later than medieval.
Class: writing lead
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1100
Date to: Circa AD 1600
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 50 mm
Width: 8 mm
Diameter: 4.5 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 1st January 2015 - Friday 1st May 2015
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
SMR reference number: 3715
Other reference: BM052015
Materials and construction
Primary material: Lead
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Spatial metadata
Region: Eastern (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Norfolk (County)
District: North Norfolk (District)
Parish or ward: Raynham (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: TF8824
Four figure Latitude: 52.78083495
Four figure longitude: 0.78603309
1:25K map: TF8824
1:10K map: TF82SE
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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