Rights Holder: West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service
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Unique ID: SWYOR-D9A17D
Object type certainty: Probably
Workflow
status: Published
British Museum Report:
Description:
1.Long thin copper alloy strip bent into a U-shape in a plane perpendicular to the width of the strip. The strip terminates at one end with an oval terminal with strap loop in the same plane as the strip. The other end is broken off. The outer surface of the strip is engraved with two parallel lines that run down the centre. The narrow area between these lines is hatched with short perpendicular engraved lines, giving a ladder effect. The strip is pierced with a circular hole in the centre of the 'U', with the hole going through the engraved lines. The strip is broken into two parts at the pierced hole, but the two fragments clearly join. The breaks are worn, and may be ancient. The strip widens into a raised rectangle where it meets the remaining terminal. The terminal takes the form of a flattened, approximately oval plate in the same plane as the strip. At the far end, the flat oval plate splits into two points. Curving engraved lines run down the middle of the outer surface of the plate, giving the impression that the two points represent the ends of two adjacent lentoid shapes. There is worn, stippled decoration at the edges. The two tips are joined by a short strap bar. There is an open triangular hole between the prongs of the plate and the strap bar, with the apex of the triangle pointing towards the strip. The strap bar is approximately rectangular in cross-section, bordered on either side by raised ends.
Dimensions:
Larger fragment:
Weight: 27g
Measurements: Length: 139mm
Maximum width of strip: 9.8mm
Maximum thickness of strip: 2.8mm
Maximum width of oval terminal: 21.5mm
Maximum thickness of terminal: 4.7mm
Smaller fragment:
Weight: 14g
Measurements: Length: 86mm
Width of strip: 5.9 - 10.1 mm
Maximum thickness of strip: 2.7mm
2.Similar fragment to that described above with an oval-shaped terminal with strap loop, connected to a shorter fragment of strip. However, it does not connect to the object described above, and is therefore most likely to be part of another, similar object.
Dimensions:
Weight: 15g
Measurements: Length: 83.7mm
Maximum width of strip: 6.7mm
Maximum thickness of strip: 2.7mm
Maximum width of terminal: 21.8mm
Maximum thickness of terminal: 4mm
Discussion:
These two fragments most likely represent parts of a pair of two Late Iron Age or Romano-British prick spurs. The larger (broken) piece comprises most of one spur, missing just the terminal. The pierced hole would originally have held a conical metal point or 'prick'. The (non-joining) smaller fragment is probably from the second one of the pair, and consists of just one terminal and a short length of the heel band.
Prick spurs were worn in pairs, strapped to the heels of riding boots. The points or pricks on the back were used for directing and controlling a horse. Prick spurs were used by Roman cavalry throughout the Empire, although not universally (Dixon and Southern 1992, 58-9). They could be made of iron or bronze, and are normally categorised by the way in which the spur was attached to the leather straps which affixed it to the boot (hooks, loops or rivets, see Shortt 1959, Manning 1985). These examples fall into Class II, loop spurs, since the strap was attached to the strap loop at the end of each terminal.
Aspects of the decoration of these pieces are Late Iron Age in style, including the lentoid form of the terminal prongs and the curvilinear engraved decoration on the terminals. There are some similarities between the lentoid design of the terminals and pieces from the Stanwick hoard discovered in 1843, also from North Yorkshire (e.g. BM 1847,0208.23, 24, 27, 30, 51, 60, which are M.13, M.22, M.28, M.29, M.30, and M.34 in MacGregor 1962). Closer parallels for the complete form of the piece come from the early Roman military site of Hod Hill, where there are two copper alloy prick spurs (BM 1892,0901.495 and 496, which are A.28 and A.29 in Brailsford 1962).
Both the Stanwick and Hod Hill material dates to the mid first century AD, and that is the most likely date range for these objects.
Conclusion:
Whilst these objects could have entered the ground before or shortly after the Roman conquest of AD 43, the Iron Age style of the design, and the practice suggests prehistoric connections.
I would therefore argue that this case should qualify as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure (Designation) Order 2002, being a prehistoric base metal assemblage of two objects.
Potential Acquisition:
The British Museum would support the acquisition of these objects by a local museum. If no local Museum wishes to acquire, the British Museum would be interested in acquiring.
Julia Farley,
Curator of British and European Iron Age Collections,
British Museum
Audrey-Eve Lavigueur-Blouin
Volunteer,
British Museum
30th June 2016
References:
Brailsford, J. W., 1962. Hod Hill Vol 1: Antiquities from Hod Hill in the Durden Collection. London: The Trustees of the British Museum
Dixon, K. R. and Southern, P., 1997, The Roman Cavalry. London: Routledge
MacGregor, M., 1962. The Early Iron Age metalwork hoard from Stanwick, N. R. Yorks. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 28, 17-57
Manning, W.H. 1985. Catalogue of the Romano-British iron tools, fittings and weapons in the British Museum. London: British Museum Publications
Shortt, H. de S., 1959. A Provincial Roman Spur from Longstock, Hants, and other Spurs from Roman Britain. Antiquaries Journal 39, 61-76
Notes:
Adam Gwilt has suggested that stylistically, this looks similar to Late Iron Age metalwork though perhaps also spanning into early Roman date. He says: "These remind me of the Irish 'pendants' in form (Raftery 1984 La Tene in Ireland). They also echo a couple of the pieces in the Stanwick hoard (PPS 1962, Cats 22 & 18, described as U shaped trapping and hook). Could these have performed horse-pendant type functions, with straps attached to terminals? "
Sally Worrel also suggests comparing NLM-F3D404. She says: "I've also been looking through Johann Nicolay's Armed Batavians. Use and Significance of Weaponry and Horse Gear From Non-Military Contexts in the Rhine Delta (50 CC to AD 450) (2007) for ideas on on early Roman or LIA spurs. I'm wondering if your objects may be examples of Nicolay's Grp A with a narrow, U-shaped 'heel' - the form of the loop at the terminal obviously differs to the egs on the attached plate."
This is a find of note and has been designated: National importance
Class:
prick
Sub class: Class III loop spur
Current location of find: Craven Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2015T660
Broad period: IRON AGE
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: IRON AGE
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 1
Date to: Circa AD 100
Quantity: 2
Weight: 29 g
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 1st March 2015 - Thursday 11th June 2015
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference: PAS form number 2620
Treasure case number: 2015T660
4 Figure: SD8167
Four figure Latitude: 54.09853982
Four figure longitude: -2.29202926
1:25K map: SD8167
1:10K map: SD86NW
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dixon, K and Southern, P. | 1997 | The Roman Cavalry | Batsford |