Record ID: NMS-F7F720
Object type: NOCTURNAL
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Incomplete medieval copper alloy pocket nocturnal: "an astronomical instrument for telling the time at night" (MDA Archaeological Objects Thesaurus 1997, 101). The nocturnal doubles as the lid of a type of cylindrical compendium which also contained a magnetic compass and an equinoctial sundial. Almost complete examples are held by the Oxford Museum of the History of Science (inv. nos. 50896 and 46855) and the British Museum (acc. no. 1853.06181) A disc with a central perforation and a lateral lug with a hinge set at right angles to the underside, consisting of two incomplete hinge…
Created on: Thursday 13th April 2017
Last updated: Tuesday 18th April 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: LVPL-25A4C7
Object type: NOCTURNAL
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete cast copper alloy pocket nocturnal: "an astronomical instrument for telling the time at night" (MDA Archaeological Objects Thesaurus 1997, 101). The object which has been deliberately cut would have been circular in plan and is now triangular in plan and flat. There is a small perforation which would have been in the centre of the object for a needle. The needle is present and separate. One end which would have attached to the object is perforated. The needle is D-shaped in cross-section. The needle measures 18.34mm in length and is 5.30mm in width. File marks can be se…
Created on: Tuesday 13th November 2012
Last updated: Friday 30th November 2012
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Selby area', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NMS-C00005
Object type: NOCTURNAL
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Incomplete medieval copper alloy pocket nocturnal: "an astronomical instrument for telling the time at night" (MDA Archaeological Objects Thesaurus 1997, 101). A disc with a central perforation and a lateral lug with a hinge set at right angles to the underside, consists of two hinge pivots, a copper alloy spindle and a single hinge pivot from the missing part. Most of the edge of the disc is missing. The front face is subdivided by concentric circles and radial lines into an inner ring of twelve segments, each containing the initial of a month of the year executed in punched dots and…
Created on: Monday 15th October 2012
Last updated: Thursday 13th April 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SF-5EA704
Object type: NOCTURNAL
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A cast copper-alloy sundial box lid in the form of an early type of nocturnal. It is flat, circular in form with a rectangular projection at the top containing on the reverse face two small semi-circular lugs where the lid would have hinged. On the opposite side of the lid from the lugs is a small rectangular notch, perhaps for a clasp. The front face is divided into twelve sections by incised lines that run three-quarters of the way from the edge towards the centre of the object. Each of these twelve sections is sub-divided in half by shorter incised lines, either side of which are tw…
Created on: Friday 2nd October 2009
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Barham', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: HAMP-831705
Object type: NOCTURNAL
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Cast copper-alloy sundial box lid. The box would have contained an equinoctial sundial and the lid is laid out as an early type of nocturnal. The object is circular, although the edge is now damaged, and there is a trapezoidal projection at the top. On the reverse of this projection are the remains of the hinge, comprising two cylindrical loops cast integrally with the lid. Directly opposite the trapezoidal projection there is a notch cut into the outer edge, perhaps to accommodate a clasp. There is a circular perforation at the centre (diameter of 2mm) with uneven raised edges on …
Created on: Tuesday 21st December 2004
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Breamore', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NLM-ADA657
Object type: NOCTURNAL
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A cast copper alloy sundial box lid in the form of an early nocturnal. The lid is circular with a two-lug hinge at the top. The surface of the lid is divided into twelve sections by engraved lines, which corresponds to the months of the year. Each section has a shorted engraved line in the centre and two shorter ones either side. In the centre of each section has an etched symbol. A copper alloy pointer is secured to the centre of the lid with a flat copper alloy rivet. There are some rust patches on the surface of the lid and on the pointer. The reverse of the lid is plain. The diamet…
Created on: Friday 17th September 2004
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
No spatial data available.

Record ID: HAMP1713
Object type: NOCTURNAL
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Published
Cast copper-alloy sundial box lid. The box would have contained an equinoctial sundial and the lid is laid out as an early type of nocturnal. Circular with hinge at top with traces of iron axis. A copper-alloy pointer is secured at the centre of the lid with a flat copper-alloy rivet. The upper surface is divided into twelve sections by an engraved line which joins the first of two engraved concentric circles. Each section has a longer central engraved line with two shorter ones at either side and an etched symbol. The lower edge is slightly damaged. Very smooth and even mid-green pati…
Created on: Monday 13th May 2002
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded.