HARNESS MOUNT

Copper alloy white metal coated horse harness mount that is circular in shape with a dished face and bevelled outed rim. There is a circular perforation in the centre of the mount for a rivet; this is surrounded by six radiating lines that run to the lip of the dish. The lines alternate between a single thin line and a band of thin lines with expanded terminals. Each of these lines have been engraved and filled with a darker metal.

On the reverse is very uneven with two closely situated small lugs to the edge, with two wider spaced lugs to the centre. All of the lugs are truncated close to their base as a result of corrosion.

There is a very similar example recorded on the database at NMS-82149A, this item illustrates how the lug on the reverse may have acted; on that example there is a mount for a pendant on the reverse near the rim with integral rivets in the centre for attachment onto a harness strap.

An assemblage of horse harness fitting found at Fremington Hagg and dated to AD 69 contained an pendent hanger exactly the same as this example. Plus a more complete set was discovered in Xanten in Germany again dating to the late 1st century which again contained hangers matching this artefact.

Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group, Roman Harness fittings, record 592 (11.09.2012) accessed on 05.10.2016 at https://www.swaag.org/DB_VIEW_Specific%20Record%20Number2.php?swaagrec=592

Xanten Horse-Phalerae. (2014, July 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:07, October 5, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Xanten_Horse-Phalerae&oldid=617768459