Rights Holder: Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service
CC License:
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
Unique ID: ESS-33CCA3
Object type certainty: Possibly
Workflow
status: Published
An Iron Age-Roman glass bead, dating 800BC - AD100. This bead belongs to Guido's class 6, Oldbury type.It is made from blue and white glass and is roughly circular in shape, with a hole through the centre formed during manufacture with a mandrel. The white glass forms spirals at various points around the outside of the object. At these points nodules have been formed in the blue glass to emphasise the design. The nodules and spirals alternate between pairs and single features.
A similar example has been recorded with the PAS (LON-041951), though that example had a copper alloy ring attached and the spirals seem to be more carefully designed. This style of bead has been discussed at length by Foulds (2014, pp. 7-8) who notes that many examples are known with spiral decoration, though this particular colour combination, the placement of the spirals and their execution set this type apart.
Dimensions: diameter: 26.60 mm; internal diameter: 9.04 mm; thickness: 13.89 mm; weight: 10.42g.
Reference:
Guido, M., 1978. The Glass Beads of the Prehistoric and Roman Periods in Britain and Ireland. London: The Society of Antiquaries of London Report no. 35
Foulds, E. 2014. An exciting new Iron Age glass bead from London (in. Lewis, A, (ed.) Later Prehistoric Finds Group Newsletter issue 4).
Current location of find: CIMS
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: IRON AGE
Period from: IRON AGE
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa 800 BC
Date to: Circa AD 100
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 13.89 mm
Weight: 10.42 g
Diameter: 26.6 mm
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference: OEF 7967
Primary material: Glass
Manufacture method: Hand made
Decoration style: Geometric
Completeness: Complete
4 Figure: TM2230
Four figure Latitude: 51.92423089
Four figure longitude: 1.22722618
1:25K map: TM2230
1:10K map: TM23SW
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.