Rights Holder: Eleanore Cox
CC License:
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Unique ID: NARC-5C0816
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A complete copper alloy Amulet, of Roman date (AD 43-410). The object depicts a bird with folded wings standing on a phallus with the bird pecking at the phallus. The bird is small with a single ovate spur attaching it to the lower component of the amulet, this also forms the legs. The body of the bird is solid and ovate with a tapering pointed tail and a rounded head. One eye remains, which is an incised ovate. The beak projects downwards and an partially open and sub-triangular in section. The wings are formed by two elongated lentiods folded into the body. The back of the object is decorated with an incised repeating chevron pattern in three rows to indicate feathers. The birds feet are connected to the centre of the phalls with the head of the bird and the glans of the phallus at opposing ends. The claws (three) are raised and clasped round the central shaft of the phallus and there is a circular depression in the back of the birds legs. The phallus is circular in section with two round globular knops representing testicles, one of which is at 90 degrees to the shaft and within the beak of the bird. The glans of the phallus are at the opposite and. There is no clear decorative pattern to the phallic element of the amulet.
There is some minor amount of possible retained white metal coating.
The metal is a dark green/brown in colour with a predominantly smooth surface patina.
Length: 29.71mm, Width: 11.11mm, Height: 22.46mm, Weight: 16.2g.
The phallus was a powerful symbol of protection in the Roman Empire (Parker 2015). It was thought to avert the evil eye, and accordingly was popular with Roman soldiers. Nicolay (2007) cites examples similar to the present example which were used as horse harness pendants, and thus as protective amulets for the cavalry (Nicolay 2007: 152, Pl. 91). While Phallic pendants have traditionally been associated with the Roman Army, they were also worn around the neck by adults, and especially children. Indeed, a growing corpus of phallic pendants are known from rural sites in England (Plouviez 2005).
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: ROMAN
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: ROMAN
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 43
Date to: Circa AD 410
Quantity: 1
Length: 29.71 mm
Height: 22.46 mm
Width: 11.11 mm
Weight: 16.2 g
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Linear
Completeness: Uncertain
Surface Treatment: Incised or engraved or chased
4 Figure: SP9765
Four figure Latitude: 52.27460404
Four figure longitude: -0.57975784
1:25K map: SP9765
1:10K map: SP96NE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.