Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
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Unique ID: BERK-35ADE0
Object type certainty: Possibly
Workflow
status: Published
Gold lunate object, either a pendant or possibly an ear-ring. The object is made of thin sheet metal and rather crudely shaped, although it has suffered a fair degree of post-depositional damage. There is a slight central ridge that runs across the piece. The lower edge is decorated with a series of dog-tooth incisions, rather unevenly spaced. In the centre of the lower side is a circular box setting for a stone or glass gem, now absent; the sides of the setting have been squashed inwards. Inside the setting are the remains of a possible fixing substance. Traces of an attachment loop, now broken, are visible on the reverse.
Discussion: the item can be paralleled by another lunate gold object, possibly an ear-ring, from Lincolnshire (PAS: LIN-F9CF25). Both objects parallel more elaborate gold ear-rings with applied wire (see Allason-Jones 1989, nos. 32 & 47.
Date: Roman, 1st to 3rd century AD
Dimensions: L.: 20mm Width: 16mm Wt.: 1.03g
Reference: Allason-Jones, L. 1989, Ear-rings in Roman Britain. BAR British Series 201, Oxford.
Note: this item is more than 300 years old and composed of more than 10% precious metal so qualifies as treasure as stipulated in the Treasure Act 1996.
Dr Richard Hobbs
Weston Curator of Roman Britain, Britain, Europe & Prehistory, The British Museum
5th September 2019
Current location of find: West Berkshire Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2019T283
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 43
Date to: Circa AD 300
Quantity: 1
Length: 20 mm
Width: 16 mm
Weight: 1.03 g
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 13th January 2019 - Sunday 13th January 2019
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Treasure case number: 2019T283
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.