PENDANT

An almost complete ceramic phallic pendant of uncertain date. The pendant comprises an ovate shaft which swells towards a bulbous head. A prominent ridge is present at the junction between the shaft and the head which appears to have been handmade. The head has a deep triangular groove to the upper end of the tip representing the urethra.

The opposite end of the shaft tapers to a narrower rounded terminal with narrow perforation to one side. The other side of the loop is broken and a corresponding perforation cannot be determined. Two fairly small rounded knops project to either side of the shaft, where it narrows to form the loop, representing the glands.

The pendant is both macrophallic (having exaggerated dimensions) and ithyphallic (appearing erect).

The ceramic material is a dark grey/black with a smooth, sandy texture. Sparse orange and white inclusions are present within the fabric. The upper portion of the pendant has a dark orange coating, the nature of which cannot be determined.

The object is 74.7mm in length, 26.2mm in diameter at the widest point, 23.9mm x 14.1mm at the glands and the loop is 15.4mm x 9.5mm. It weighs 39.5g.

Phallic imagery is not uncommon on Roman objects, occurring in relief on pottery as well as in three dimensional form constructed of a variety of materials. Phallic pendants in particular are a common feature in Roman magic though tend to be constructed of metal, such as copper-alloy. SF-49E6A6 is one such example which states that phallic pendants are thought to be associated with Roman soldiers, and presumably acted as good luck charms to protect the wearer from harm. They are believed to be Roman rather than indigenous in character and many have been found on sites with an early Roman, often military, presence.

Despite the common association of phalli with the Roman period such imagery is recurrent in a variety of cultures throughout history and into the present day. Such object serve a variety of purposes with numerous functions. No exact parallels to the current example could be found at the time of recording. Without context or specific diagnostic features it is not therefore possible to ascribe a definitive date or function. While the object is described here as a pendant it may serve another purpose such as pipe tamper, clay model for a door knocker, fragment from an articulated ithyphallic figurine or weight. It is also not possible to determine if the object is indigenous.