Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
CC License:
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Unique ID: LANCUM-F31762
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
A fragment of a copper-alloy button and loop fastener of Roman date, Wild Class III, c. AD 50 - 200. Only the head remains which is a pointed ovate - or teardrop - in shape with a raised circular boss within a circumferential recess towards the rounded end. The pointed terminal is also raised. An integral shank would have extended down from the reverse of the boss bent at 90 degrees before splitting in to two to form a sub-triangular attachment loop.
The metal has a mid-green patina and is worn. The length is 21mm, the width is 14mm and the weight 3.92g.
Downes and Griffiths (2017) state: 'Button and loop fasteners are perhaps best interpreted as multi-purpose fasteners for use with harness equipment as well as clothing. They are thought to be military objects, though the PAS examples tend to be found on rural sites not specifically related to military activity.'
Wild (1970) discusses the dating of Class III button and loop fasteners suggesting that dated examples support a 2nd century date though perhaps beginning in the late 1st century AD.
Class: Class III
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 50
Date to: Circa AD 200
Quantity: 1
Length: 21 mm
Width: 14 mm
Weight: 3.92 g
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 5th June 2018 - Tuesday 5th June 2018
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4 Figure: SK5498
Four figure Latitude: 53.47596723
Four figure longitude: -1.18786376
1:25K map: SK5498
1:10K map: SK59NW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.