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FURNITURE FITTING
Unique ID: BM-D25079
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A complete iron drop-handle, dating to the Roman period. The handle comprises an arched strip of iron which is square in section. At each end, the strip thins and terminates in two oval loops. The loops are formed by bending the strip back on itself. Through one of the loops, there is threaded a circular-section wire which is bent and tapers to a point. The wire is kept in place by corrosion products. The handle is 157mm wide and 7mm thick. The loops have a diameter of 15mm. The handle weighs 45 grams. It is possible that BH-5F0880 comes from the same object as BM-D25079.
Similar examples come from Colchester (Crummy 1983, fig. 85, 2115) and Augsburg-Oberhausen (Hanemann 2014, Abb. 77). Drop handles were used as carrying handles or drawer handles on a wide variety of pieces of furniture in the Roman period, most commonly on wooden boxes and chests (Crummy 1983, 80; Manning 1985, 124) but also on gridirons and wooden tubs (Hanemann 2014, Abb. 55, 81).
Notes:
SF 8010. Seen 6.6.18
Class: Drop-handle
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 43
Date to: Circa AD 410
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Weight: 45 g
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: Box 21, Bag 1
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: North East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Darlington (Unitary Authority)
District: Darlington (Unitary Authority)
Parish or ward: Piercebridge (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: NZ2115
Four figure Latitude: 54.52984883
Four figure longitude: -1.67701825
1:25K map: NZ2115
1:10K map: NZ21NW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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