Rights Holder: North Lincolnshire Museum
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STYLUS
Unique ID: NLM-288D11
Object type certainty: Possibly
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
Silver possible stylus fragment. A cast rectangular stem broken at one end and with an expanded and slightly rounded collar separating it from a wedge-shaped flattened blade, now mostly lost, with its remainder worn to a single point, at the other. If this identification were to be sustained, its implication could be more important than its presently unprepossessing appearance might suggest. Along with two mounts interpreted as possible book fittings, this could evidence a literate or monastic component to early medieval occupation in the vicinity. The square section is a feature of some stylus shanks from Flixborough (Pestell et al, in Evans and Loveluck 2009, fig. 3.2 nos 997 and 1001, fig. 3.3 no. 1007), where it is noted that most styli would be fairly plain. Suggested date: Early Medieval, 700-850.
Length: 29.7mm, Width: 5.9mm, Thickness (at collar): 4.2mm, Weight: 2.53gms
Notes:
The finder suggests this to be part of an assemblage amounting to c.5% of material recovered from an extensive site, the rest being removed illicitly without record. Archaeological opinion holds the site to have been of equivalent character to Flixborough, North Lincolnshire, in terms of its material culture. Coins are under-represented in the group
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Middle
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Anglo-Saxon style
Date from: Circa AD 700
Date to: Circa AD 850
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 29.7 mm
Width: 5.9 mm
Thickness: 4.2 mm
Weight: 2.53 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 1st January 1995 - Sunday 31st December 2000
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: NLM37288
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: East Midlands (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Lincolnshire (County)
District: West Lindsey (District)
To be known as: near Keelby
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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