PENDANT

An incomplete lead pendant dating to the Early-Medieval period (AD 900 - AD 1150).

The object is disc-shaped with an integral shaft projecting from one edge and terminating in a worn break. The upper face is decorated with a moulded design consisting of a central pellet surrounded by eight radiating lines or petals, all encircled within a plain border. Around this border is traces of letters, but wear and damage has left these illegible. The outer edge has a raised, plain border. The reverse is flat and undecorated.

The metal is very worn and dark creamy-grey in colour. The seal is 28.7 mm long, 20.2 mm wide, and 2.1 mm thick. It weighs 5.7 g.

This object is similar in form to lead kosher seals used by the Jewish community to label meat that had been prepared according to legal requirements however the lack of Hebrew text suggests a different function for this example. The similarities in form however suggest a contemporary date.

A similar object has been recorded as SWYOR-D21FFD which cites parallels published in Ten Harkel (2018, 15; fig. 21):

https://www.academia.edu/38198489/Ethnic_identity_or_something_else_The_production_and_use_of_non-ferrous_dress-accessories_and_related_items_from_early_medieval_Lincoln. One from St Mark's Station, Wigford, Lincoln is from late-eleventh- to early-twelfth-century pit containing a high percentage of tenth-century pottery. A similar example from York is also illustrated, originally published as fig 340 on page 780 of Bayley, J. 1992. Anglo-Scandinavian Non-Ferrous Metalworking from 16-22 Coppergate, The Archaeology of York, 17 (7), London: CBA. Ten Harkel describes the pendants as having Scandinavian parallels, though not of obvious Scandinavian style. NLM-D6E016 is probably another example.