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KEY (LOCKING)
Unique ID: SUSS-1866AB
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A copper alloy slide key for a slide lock of probably late early-medieval to medieval date (900-1300).
It comprises of a shaft 18.54mm long, with an open circular projection one end and a larger openwork rectangular projection the other end terminating with a T-shaped projection.
The key measures 56.01mm long overall, it is 17.54mm at the widest part and 4.29mm thick. It weighs 6.68grams.
The patina is lightly pitted and mid-green in colour.
A similar find-HAMP 799738 states;
'"There is much discussion on these type of slide keys, known popularly as 'Viking' keys, though only similar to known Viking keys (from dated contexts) in their shape. Kevin Leahy comments "they do look something like the keys that come from Viking graves and from Viking sites but I have never seen an example that had the 'T' shaped extension for the end of the bit and I can't actually see how this would have functioned in a slide lock". An iron example was found at Coppergate in York, in a 12th to 13th century context (Ottaway and Rogers 2002; 2876, 3061). A date range c.900-1300 is therefore suggested, although it should be noted that this date range may be prone to adjustment through the recovery of further examples from datable contexts."
Class: type C variant
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 900
Date to: Circa AD 1300
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 56.01 mm
Width: 17.54 mm
Thickness: 4.29 mm
Weight: 6.68 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 1st December 2018
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: West Sussex (County)
District: Horsham (District)
To be known as: near Steyning
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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