Rights Holder: Sussex Archaeological Society
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Rights Holder: Sussex Archaeological Society
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TWEEZERS

Unique ID: SUSS-117C11

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation

A copper alloy arm from a pair of Anglo-Saxon tweezers. The second arm and the loop of the tweezers are missing. The end of the arm (opposite end to the loop) is bent inwards. The angle that the end turns in at is about 90°. The arm has been made from a sheet of copper alloy. The arm is flared, which means that it tapers outwards towards the bent end. The arm is basically rectangular but flares out to form a wide triangle shape at the terminal. The arm has been engraved on the visible surface. There is an engraved line running around the edge of the arm and there is also a ring and dot motif in the centre of the triangle part of the flaring terminal. The ring and dot consists of two rings with a large dot in the centre.
The reverse of the arm is undecorated. The artefact is in very good condition but some of the original surface has been lost. The surface is however largely smooth and finished to a high quality. This surface is a dark brownish-green colour. The break at the looped end of the arm is very worn. Due to the wideness of the flaring terminal it is likely that these tweezers date to the middle Anglo-Saxon date circa 720-850. Similar tweezers can be seen in MacGregor and Bolick, 1993, pp222-6, ref: 38.13-38.18.

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Middle
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Date from: Circa AD 720
Date to: Circa AD 850

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 50.35 mm
Width: 17.67 mm
Thickness: 1.33 mm
Weight: 3.16 g

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 1st December 2004

Personal details

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Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Multiple
Completeness: Incomplete

Spatial metadata

Region: South East (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: West Sussex (County)
District: Arun (District)
To be known as: Findon

Spatial coordinates

Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
General landuse: Cultivated land
Specific landuse: Character undetermined

References cited

Author	Publication Year	Title	Publication Place	Publisher	Pages	Reference
MacGregor, A. and Bolick, E.	1993	A summary catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon collections (non-ferrous metals), Ashmolean Museum, Oxford	Oxford	Tempvs Reparatum	222-6	38.13 - 38.18

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Timeline of associated dates

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Audit data

Recording Institution: SUSS
Created: 19 years ago
Updated: 13 years ago

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