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MOUNT
Unique ID: SWYOR-07A70B
Object type certainty: Probably
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A cast copper alloy Roman mount in the form of a seated or swimming Duck. The duck is shown three-dimensionally, and is depicted sitting or swimming with its neck held tight to its back. The body is oval and domed, with a short neck and an unnaturally small head with a beak at one end. Mouldings on the front of the breast form a pointed oval on each side of the neck and breast. The head is slightly damaged, but there are circular concavities for eyes, one containing a trace of another material, perhaps glass. The reverse is slightly convex and there in the centre is an oval depression where the figurine was originally attached to a larger object. It is 27.8mm long, 12.6mm wide, 17.7mm tall and 15.86g. It has a well developed brown green patina.
The object is most likely a mount and could have been used on a variety of items, such as a vessel, box or strap/harness fitting. Other duck mounts are known and are recorded on the PAS database, for example BERK-50A1CC, NMS-C79645, IOW-A8BE13 and LIN-6279C5. Some are known to have been riveted to the lids of vessels. Ducks and other water-birds "perhaps belong to a Celtic water-cult which also appears to have had associations with the sun and healing." (Green 1978, 24). The animal could also be interpreted as another bird such as a dove.
Class: Duck
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
Length: 27.8 mm
Width: 12.6 mm
Thickness: 17.7 mm
Weight: 15.86 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 25th March 2017 - Saturday 25th March 2017
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: PAS form number 2958
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber (European Region)County or Unitary authority: North Yorkshire (County)
District: Harrogate (District)
Parish or ward: Hunsingore (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SE4354
Four figure Latitude: 53.9802771
Four figure longitude: -1.34582143
1:25K map: SE4354
1:10K map: SE45SW
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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