NMS-5983B3: Iron Age Harness Fitting

Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
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Rights Holder: Norfolk County Council
CC License: All Rights Reserved

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HARNESS FITTING

Unique ID: NMS-5983B3

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation Find awaiting validation

Late Iron Age to Early Roman copper alloy bridle or chariot fitting, a cheekpiece, toggle or "slider" dating to the period c. AD 1 - 100. It exhibits a central rectangular, square-sectioned box perforated by a central rectangular slot. One face exhibits a decorative panel consisting of a pattern symmetrical recessed cells forming a reserve flattened S-scroll containing the remains of degraded champlevé enamel, traces of which are red in colour. The recesses are surrounded by incised line decoration and panels of pointillé work. On either side is a round-sectioned tapering bar, each terminating in a collared circular terminal.

This piece exhibits a similar decorative scheme to two examples found as part of a hoard found at Polden Hill, Somerset (Spratling 1972, 122-125, Fig. 237),

In form, the piece closely resembles an example found at the Folly Lane site, St. Albans (Niblett 1999, 138, Fig.52) & an undecorated example from Cornwall (CORN-B50AA7).

Length terminal to terminal: 101.5mm, length of central box: 29.5mm, maximum width: 16.2mm, minimum width: 15.5mm, maximum diameter of bar: 14mm, minimum diameter of bar: 9mm, diameter of terminals: 16mm. Weight: 105g.

Subsequent actions

Current location of find: Norwich Castle Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Donated to a museum

Chronology

Broad period: IRON AGE
Period from: IRON AGE
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 1
Date to: Circa AD 100

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 101.5 mm
Width: 16.2 mm
Weight: 105 g

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 5th October 2017 - Wednesday 1st November 2017

Personal details

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Other reference numbers

SMR reference number: 62257
Other reference: ENMD112017
Museum accession number: 2018.283

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel

Spatial metadata

Region: Eastern (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Norfolk (County)
District: South Norfolk (District)
Parish or ward: Carleton Rode (Civil Parish)

Spatial coordinates

4 Figure: TM0993
Four figure Latitude: 52.49484506
Four figure longitude: 1.07732536
1:25K map: TM0993
1:10K map: TM09SE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
Current location: Norwich Castle Museum

References cited

No references cited so far.

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Timeline of associated dates

Audit data

Recording Institution: NMS
Created: 6 years ago
Updated: 3 years ago

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