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Description: | An incomplete cast copper-alloy Roman terminal in the form of an eagle's head. An iron tang has been attached with lead which has been run into the hollow casting. The head is beautifully rendered with feathers delineated both by moulding and incisions. The eye is moulded with a punch for the pupil. The eagle grasps a spherical object within its open beak. The head emerges from a sleeve consisting of three petals; the central petal is narrower than the others. The petals themselves emerge from a double collar, above a main section of heptagonal cross-section. This main body has been broken up to 9mm below the double collar; there is also a fracture which travels up through the collar and into one of the petals. The break allows the iron and lead core to be seen. There is a further fracture emerging from one side of the beak. The surface of this object is pitted and has an olive green patina, although it has survived very well.Perhaps the closest parallel found for this artefact is another well rendered terminal with iron/lead core from Chichester illustrated in Down 1978 (296, 297; ref. 47). As its description states, such objects tend to be identified as Roman cart fittings to which the reins were tied when the vehicle was stationary. Examples for which the body element is complete suggest that the socket would continued for c. 40mm and would have had a hooked projection, probably in the form of a swan's head (ex. Crummy 1983, 106; ref. 2545; Webster 1958, 71; fig. 3, ref. 37). These fittings seem to have a relatively standardised design, characterised by the sphere within the eagle's beak; variable would seem to be the number of petals and the form of the socket - circular (ex. Webster 1958, 95, 97; fig. 8, ref. 232), hexagonal (ex. Crummy 1983, 106; ref. 2545), heptagonal (this object), octagonal (Down 1978, 296, 297; ref. 47).The distribution and date of similar pieces suggests a military connection and a 1st-century date (Webster 1958, 75, where full references are given), although as more examples come to light such a generalisation may come to be refined. Indeed, with this example and others - " SF-97C2C8, " WMID4346, " SUSS-18A703, " SF-9CC792 - the Portable Antiquities Scheme has started to make a contribution to the distribution pattern.
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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