DUR-B9D6B8: DUR-B9D6B8 : Macehead : Medieval

Rights Holder: Durham County Council
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MACE

Unique ID: DUR-B9D6B8

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Published Find 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 actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

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

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 60.17 mm
Width: 38.03 mm
Thickness: 33.52 mm
Weight: 154 g
Diameter: 28.72 mm

Personal details

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Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete

Spatial metadata

Region: North East (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: County Durham (Unitary Authority)
District: County Durham (Unitary Authority)
To be known as: Lanchester Area

Spatial coordinates


Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
General landuse: Cultivated land
Specific landuse: Character undetermined

References cited

No references cited so far.

Similar objects

Find number: CORN-3455DB
Object type: MACE
Broadperiod: MEDIEVAL
Cast copper alloy medieval mace head. It consists of a cast, hollow cylinder, below a head of three rows, each of four pyramid-shaped spikes …
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Find number: LVPL-D0CAE3
Object type: MACE
Broadperiod: MEDIEVAL
Cast copper alloy mace head dating to the late Medieval period. The object consists of a cast, hollow cylinder of copper alloy, with four ro…
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Find number: SOM-D98903
Object type: MACE
Broadperiod: MEDIEVAL
About half of a cast copper alloy mace head dating to the late Medieval period. The object consists of part of a cast, hollow cylinder of cop…
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Timeline of associated dates

Audit data

Recording Institution: DUR
Created: 8 years ago
Updated: 5 years ago

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