Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council
CC License: 
Image use policy
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
BRACELET
Unique ID: SF-7B5318
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An incomplete fragment originating from a cast coppper-alloy snake headed bracelet dating to the Roman period, c. 43-250 AD. The object consists only one terminal end of the bracelet, with the rest of the object having broken away in old damage. Curving strongly in profile view, in form it takes the form of a snake's head, demonstrating an unusually elongated nose. It is plano-convex in section, with a flattened inner surface and rounded upper face. The upper face of the terminal has been decorated with a central reeded line of punched rectangular motifs which extend from the truncation to the terminal end of the snake's nose. Co-incident with the widest point of the terminal, this central line is flanked by a pair of punched crescentic motifs with an inner circular punched motif that represent the eyes. Below each eye, a line of smaller circular dimples serves to delineate the edge of the snake's head as it tapers towards the nose. Preserved in fair condition with an even brownish patina, it measures 31.57mm long (accounting for the bend), 10.83mm wide at its widest point, and 2.35mm thick at its midpoint. It weighs 3.59g.
C.f broadly with NMGW-348F47 on the PAS database, for a bracelet terminal of broadly similar form.
Class: snake-headed
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 250
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 31.57 mm
Width: 10.83 mm
Thickness: 2.35 mm
Weight: 3.59 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 12th January 2017
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Fragment
Spatial metadata
Region: Eastern (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Suffolk (County)
District: Forest Heath (District)
To be known as: Lakenheath
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
Similar objects
Find number: WMID-F4CDBA
Object type: BRACELET
Broadperiod: ROMAN
A fragment of a copper alloy snake-headed bracelet dating to the Roman period (c. AD 43-250). The fragment consists of one of the terminals a…
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Find number: BUC-ED56E7
Object type: BRACELET
Broadperiod: ROMAN
An incomplete cast copper-alloy fragment of a snake-headed penannular bracelet dating to the Roman period, c. 43-250 AD. It is rectangular in…
Workflow: Published
Find number: BH-4F1270
Object type: BRACELET
Broadperiod: ROMAN
A fragment of a copper-alloy Snake-form bracelet of Roman date. The piece consists of one of the two original terminals. The terminal takes t…
Workflow: Published
Timeline of associated dates
About Us
About our Site
Find us
The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG.
T: +44(0) 20 73238618