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Description: | A complete cast copper alloy knife terminal with the remains of the iron blade, dating to the Early Medieval period, probably between AD 600 ?? 1066 (length: 27.5mm; width: 8.5mm; thickness: 13mm; weight: 10.8g). The knife terminal is in the form of a male human head (length: 20.5mm; width and thickness: see above) wearing a slanted sub-triangular hat (length: 8mm), which points forwards above the face and is slightly pinched to the sides at the front of the artefact. The head is very narrow with two small and crude recesses for the eyes, a slightly protruding and ridged nose, a single incised line curved downwards at the sides to represent the mouth and lastly what appears to be a forked beard, which terminates in a triangular point. To either side of the face, there are sub-triangular raised areas that may indicate the shoulders, therefore giving the face and upper body a hunched appearance. Additionally, to the back of the head, there is a single protruding rib between the bottom of the hat and the shoulders. The base of the cast copper alloy terminal appears flat and has the small remains of an iron blade protruding out from the centre (length of iron blade: 6.5mm; width of blade: 10.5mm; thickness of blade: 2.5mm). The blade has an uneven break immediately below the base of the copper alloy knife handle. Overall, the artefact is in a slightly worn but fair condition with a dark green patina. Similar knife terminals/ handles are illustrated in Read, B, 2001, 'Metal Artefacts of Antiquity: A Catalogue of Small Finds from Specific Areas of the United Kingdom', pages 82-3 & 88-9, particularly ref no 662, which represents a human head and was found in South Somerset. | Subjects: | handle | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Johnson, Caroline - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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