Rights Holder: Durham County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: DUR-B9D6B8
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
A complete copper alloy Macehead of Medieval date (AD 1250-1400). The object consists of a hollow cylinder with three rows, each of four pyramid-shaped spikes at the top of the mace. Each of the rows is offset 90 degrees from the adjacent row. As is usual for these maceheads, the upper and lower rows are of half-pyramid-shaped spikes, while those on the central row are of full pyramid shape.
Their military function is less than assured. Daubney (A Decade of discovery: Proceedings of the PAS conference 2007; British Archaeological Reports 520; 2010) stated the possibility that they may have had an alternative (or additional) function, as the heads of staffs carried by clergy.
Similar examples can be seen on the Portable Antiquities Database: DUR-5ACBE0, CORN-3455DB and LVPL-D0CAE3
Length: 60.17mm, Width: 38.03mm, Thickness: 33.52mm, Diameter (of shaft): 28.72mm, Weight: 154.0g.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1250
Date to: Circa AD 1400
Quantity: 1
Length: 60.17 mm
Width: 38.03 mm
Thickness: 33.52 mm
Weight: 154 g
Diameter: 28.72 mm
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.