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Description: | A cast copper-alloy object of late Iron Age to early Roman date. These objects turn up relatively infrequently and their exact function is uncertain. Originally, they were thought to be cheek pieces from a horse's bridle and, indeed, examples have been excavated from late Iron Age chariot burials. Spratling and MacGregor however, suggest that they were used as toggles in order to link the trace leathers on a chariot onto the body of the vehicle (Niblett, 1999, p.137). The object has a central box section which is sub-oval in plan, has squared-off ends, and flat upper and lower faces. One of the vertical sides is covered with a series of closely-spaced vertical ribs, whilst the other vertical face has a horizontally-aligned sub-oval protrusion at its centre. This central box is perforated with a vertical slot which is wedge-shaped in plan. Either side of the central box, a single moulded collar gives way to an arm of sub-circular section. These arms extend out towards the terminals. The object measures 65.4mm long by 16.4mm wide and 9.2mm high. It weighs 37.38g.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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