Rights Holder: Birmingham Museums Trust
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Unique ID: WMID-349352
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A copper alloy arm fragment of a probable prick spur of the Medieval to Post Medieval period, probably dating from c. AD 1200 - c. AD 1650.
The shaft of the fragment is D shaped in cross section, and has a worn break at its widest terminal. The patina has been lost from the front surface. The spur tapers towards its narrower terminal, and then expands into two conjoined loops, one to each side of the shaft. The loops both contain the remains of iron rivets, these have become heavily corroded. The reverse of these loops is flat, the front is convex, and the entire reverse is undecorated.
The spur fragment measures 56.7 mm in length, and is 13.1 mm wide at the loop and 6.2 mm wide at the opposite end. It has a thickness of 6.03 mm at the loop, and is 3.5 mm thick at the opposite end. It weighs 5.7 g.
The spur is a dark brown in colour with an uneven patina. There are traces of iron corrosion on the surface of the object. Abrasion caused by movement whilst within the plough soil may have resulted in the loss of some of the original surface detail.
Similar spurs have been recorded in Clarke (ed.) (2004), p 131, fig 90, no 321, suggesting a date for this object of AD 1250 - AD 1350. A prick spur goad dating to this period was discovered not far from this object, WMID-33BF5B, it is possible the two artefacts belong together. Another similar spur has been recorded in Ellis (2002) fig 3, no 14, which has been given a date of the 12th Century onwards. Other similar spurs have been recorded on the database, including LIN-825FAC and SF-AD6AEB, and have been given a much later date of AD 1500 - AD 1700. I have given a broad date of AD 1200 - AD 1650.
Reference
Clarke, J. (ed.) (2004) The Medieval Horse and it's Equipment, The Boydell Press, Suffolk
Ellis, B.M.A (2002), Prick Spurs 700 - 1700, Datasheet 30, Finds Recording Group
Class: Probable Prick
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1200
Date to: Circa AD 1650
Quantity: 1
Length: 56.7 mm
Width: 13.1 mm
Thickness: 6.03 mm
Weight: 5.7 g
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 27th September 2015 - Sunday 27th September 2015
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4 Figure: SO7867
Four figure Latitude: 52.3006771
Four figure longitude: -2.32404231
1:25K map: SO7867
1:10K map: SO76NE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.