Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council Archaeology Service
CC License:
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Unique ID: SF-EA8206
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A copper-alloy fragment of a late early medieval/Viking Age decorative bridle cheekpiece. This cheekpiece has open work perforations and depicts a Ringerike-style beast's head.
The fragment is flat and roughly oval in overall shape, measuring 56mm in lenght and 32.1mm in width. There is one roughly central oval shaped hole and a smaller triangular shaped on behind this. One longitudinal edge is curvilinear and shaped with slightly irregular V-shaped notches and the other is more angular in form. There are also traces of grooved decoration on slightly rounded front face, the back face is flat and undecorated.
This cheekpiece fragment is similar to one found at Ixworth, see SF-41B986, with two perforations, a roughly oval shape and shaped longitudinal edges; also see an example from Lackford (SF1894). Both examples are of reddish coloured copper-alloy typical of Viking Age stirrup mounts and terminals.
Class:
cheekpiece
Sub class: Williams Type 1
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Anglo-Scandinavian style
Date from: Circa AD 1000
Date to: Circa AD 1100
Quantity: 1
Length: 56 mm
Width: 32.1 mm
Weight: 18.69 g
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st November 2004
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Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
No references cited so far.