Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council
CC License: 
Image use policy
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
HARNESS FITTING
Unique ID: SF-32C320
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An incomplete cast copper-alloy Anglo-Scandinavian bridle bit link dating to the late Early Medieval period, c. 1000-1100. The object consists a shield-shaped flattened central section with incurved sides, from the sides of which 'D' sectioned arms terminating in lozenge-shaped ends with a circular knop on each cardinal point and a large circular aperture at its midpoint. One arm and the midsection survive intact, the opposing arm missing in an old break. Preserved in fair condition with the characteristic reddish brown patina usually found on metalwork of this period, it survives to a length of 46.12mm, 20.46mm wide at the midpoint of the terminal, 4.38mm thick at the midpoint of the arm, and 3.98mm thick at the original midsection of the object. It weighs 11.29g.
No exact parallel for this example with its shield-shaped central plate could be found, though it belongs to the same broad corpus of double-ended bit links recorded in some numbers on the PAS database (see SF-4850A8, SF-5B2293) as well as published by Williams (2007) p. 5, fig. 6a-e.
Class:
strap link
Sub class: double ended
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Anglo-Scandinavian style
Date from: Circa AD 1000
Date to: Circa AD 1100
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 46.12 mm
Width: 20.46 mm
Thickness: 4.38 mm
Weight: 11.29 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Friday 27th April 2018
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Spatial metadata
Region: Eastern (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Suffolk (County)
District: Suffolk Coastal (District)
To be known as: Blythburgh
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
Similar objects
Find number: BUC-E4C5F6
Object type: HARNESS FITTING
Broadperiod: EARLY MEDIEVAL
A broken and incomplete late early-medieval to medieval copper-alloy double-ended strap link from a harness (c. 11th century). Just over half…
Workflow: Published
Find number: PUBLIC-7CE5BD
Object type: HARNESS FITTING
Broadperiod: EARLY MEDIEVAL
A complete cast copper-alloy late early-medieval (Anglo-Scandinavian) harness fitting (c. 11th century). It is a double-ended strap-link with…
Workflow: Published
Find number: SF-5B2293
Object type: HARNESS FITTING
Broadperiod: EARLY MEDIEVAL
A complete cast copper-alloy double-linked bridle fitting of Anglo-Scandinavian derivation and dating to the late Early-Medieval period, c. 1…
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Timeline of associated dates
About Us
About our Site
Find us
The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG.
T: +44(0) 20 73238618