Rights Holder: Cambridgeshire County Council
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Unique ID: CAM-096A0B
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A copper-alloy Medieval buckle with integral plate dating c. AD 1250-1400. This buckle weighs 5.68g. It has a length of 40.8mm, maximum width of 16.1mm and thickness of 2.8mm. The buckle frame is the widest part of this artefact and the thickness remains approximately the same along the entire length of the artefact.
The frame end has a single 'D' shaped aperture measuring length 8.0mm x maximum width 8.3mm. The frame has a sub-rectangular cross-section with flat surfaces and slightly convexly curved sides. The outer edge of the frame has a vaguely sub-oval form but is shaped with small rounded protrusions that give the frame a sub-square appearance as one protrusion is positioned at each 'corner'. A fifth, single, wider protrusion is present at the centre of the leading edge. Close examination shows that this fifth protrusion has a subtle groove or shaped notch on the edge of the frame that does not extend onto the front or reverse surface of the frame. These five protrusions give this buckle an appearance similar to the (frame end only) artefact recorded in PAS record WMID-033AA7. The straightened edge to the 'D' shaped frame's aperture is located towards the distal end of the object, towards the integral buckle plate. Just 1.1mm out from the straightened edge of the frame's aperture, and approximately centrally placed, there is a circular aperture of 2.8mm diameter. The now missing pin would have attached to the buckle through this circular hole. One of the small rounded protrusions on the frame's outer edge is located to either side of this pin attachment hole. Together these two protrusions give this part of the brooch frame a width of 15.0mm and the appearance of a pseudo collar. This impression of a decorative collar is enhanced by the presence of an additional two protrusions, one to either side of the buckle, on the integral plate side of those just described. Protrusion six and seven are set closer together and this reduces the width of the buckle to 11.9mm. Together these double protrusions on either side of the buckle create a double collar, that create a stepped-in shape to the edge of the object. PAS record LEIC-A7A485 shows a buckle with integral plate that shows a similar double collar. The double collar on LEIC-A7A485 is more pronounced than the double collar described here. Another difference between these two examples is that the double collar is not across the pin aperture on example LEIC-A7A485 but is to either side, across, the pin aperture on this example (CAM-096A0B).
After the double collar the integral plate has a width of 7.9mm. The edges of the plate are slightly convexly curved creating a simple baluster appearance. The mid point along the 13.4mm length of this section has a width of 8.0mm before tapering in again to 6.1mm. From the width of 6.1mm the plate expands to form a trefoil shaped terminal. This terminal accounts for 9.3mm of the artefact's total length and has a maximum width of 9.6mm. Set in the terminal lobe, that has a width of 7.4mm, there is a circular aperture of 2.2mm diameter. This aperture is a rivet hole, used to secure the integral plate to the strap.
The colour of the metal is not typical for copper-alloy. It has a darker grey or buff colour. It may possibly have a higher lead-alloy content veering from copper-alloy towards pewter, however this can only be conclusively confirmed by XRF testing, which has not been conducted to date. One side of the trefoil shaped terminal has diagonal wide grooves (four) and narrow ridges (three). These are on the slightly smoother, probably upper surface of the artefact. It is not certain whether these represent later damage (the object possibly having been gripped firmly by a tool such as pliers) or during production. It might seem less likely that these marks are intentionally part of the object's design. There is no other decoration on either side of the object. What is presumed to be the reverse surface of the buckle and integral plate, is smooth, though with a slightly less smooth surface than the other side, and undecorated. The reverse surface also seems to be subtly concave, particularly at the buckle frame end. This might possibly suggest the directional positioning of a casting mould, or hint at the mould having been open backed?
See PAS record PUBLIC-5EEBEE for an example of a buckle frame with protrusions on the corners.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1200
Date to: Circa AD 1400
Quantity: 1
Length: 40.8 mm
Width: 16.1 mm
Thickness: 2.8 mm
Weight: 5.68 g
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 26th December 2019 - Thursday 26th December 2019
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Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whitehead, R. | 2003 | Buckles 1250-1800 | Chelmsford | Greenlight Publishing | pp.32-35. |