Rights Holder: Somerset County Council
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Unique ID: SOM-127118
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
Fragment of a Medieval copper alloy prick spur, c. AD 1100-1300. Part of the back with the intergrally cast neck and goad remains.The goad is formed of a double square based pyramid, the outer pyramid longer and ending in a sharp point, the inner much flatter and joining the goad to the arm. Both have slightly irregular length sides making it uneven. The neck is very worn but appears to have been triangular or circular in section. The remaining part of the sides are D-shaped in section with a flat inner side. The side is worn and ends in an old break but appears to curve downwards. The goad is 17.1mm long by 11.1mm by 12.1mm, the arms 36.3mm long and tapers from 6.3mm at the side to 3.3mm at the goad. The entire piece is 68.7mm long by 15.4mm by 14.1mm and weighs 13.73g. It is worn and corroded with little of the original surface remaining.
Ellis (2002:6) illustrates several examples with similar long necks, square goads and curved sides (no.15-18) ranging in date from c.AD 1100 to 1300.
Similar spurs have been recorded on The Portable Antiquities Scheme database. For example see the more complete WMID-BD1935 which also lists other examples.
Class: prick
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1100
Date to: Circa AD 1300
Quantity: 1
Length: 68.7 mm
Width: 15.4 mm
Thickness: 14.1 mm
Weight: 13.73 g
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st September 2014 - Saturday 11th June 2016
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Other reference: SCC receipt 016971
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ellis, B. | 2002 | Prick Spurs 700-1700, The Finds Research Group AD 700-1700 | Stoke-on-Trent | The Finds Research Group AD 700-1700 |