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MINIATURE OBJECT
Unique ID: BH-C3F333
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
An incomplete cast copper-alloy stand, probably a miniature altar, dating to the Roman period. The object is square in plan with a circular perforation through the flat upper plate and four small knops, one in each corner, protruding from each corner of this surface. These knops would have inserted into holes in the base of an upper tier, stacking them together. Each of the side plates is decorated with a saltire cross with the four recessed triangular cells inlaid with enamel. Much of this enamelling is degraded, but the one side with all four cells entirely or partially surviving intact has red enamel in the upper and lower cells and yellow or orange enamel in the side cells. The stand's metal has a brownish-green patina and is rather worn. The base is hollow. The stand measures 13mm in height, 14mm in width and 15mm in thickness. It weighs 5.5. grams.
These objects are usually interpreted as either miniature tables, stools or altars and are associated with temples as well as fort sites. Parallel objects recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme Database include LVPL-7FF030, NMS-38E334, YORYM-9E8875 and NARC-E42213. For further information see Kiernan 2009. 'Miniature Votive Offerings in the North-West Provinces of the Roman Empire'.
Find of note status
This is a find of note and has been designated: Potential for inclusion in Britannia
Class: Stand
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 200
Date to: Circa AD 410
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Height: 13 mm
Width: 14 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight: 5.5 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 8th January 2017
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Enamel
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Linear
Completeness: Incomplete
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Oxfordshire (County)
District: West Oxfordshire (District)
Parish or ward: Tackley (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SP4718
Four figure Latitude: 51.8586147
Four figure longitude: -1.3189427
1:25K map: SP4718
1:10K map: SP41NE
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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