TOILET ARTICLE

A copper alloy spatula probe dating to AD 43-410. The implement has a elongated spatula scoop end, and a small, blunt olivary probe end. The design is plain, and has a green-brown patination, but presents a small iron corrosion point of orange above the spatula end. The artefact has been bent inwards. The bend has also caused the artefact to lean more to the right hand side. The probe end is circular in shape, but the body of the implement holds a rounded square shape.

Ralph Jackson (edited by Robert Arnott 1998) suggests, that a great majority of implements of this type woud not have just been used as surgical equipment but rather used as toilet instruments too.

A length measurement has been taken, (127.32mm) but due to the artefact being severly bent, the measurement is approximate. The object weighs 11.07g and the measuremets for both end of the object are as follows:

Spatula end (diameter): 10.2, blunt end: 5.24 and the cross section: 2.78.

The object does hold resemblence to spoon probes, and agreeing with Ralphs suggestions, Crummys analysis (1981 pages 60-61) also suggests that these implements were utilised as make up removal instruments or to extract cosmetic products from containers.