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Description: | a copper alloy object of probable Middle Saxon date. It is a narrow strip of metal, one terminal of which is a flat triangular plate 9.87mm wide with two holes pierced very close to the edge. Holding the object horizontally by this terminal,it has a stepped profile extending for a length of 43.25mm before turning at right angles for a length of 22mm, and turning again at 120 degrees and continuing to its opposite terminal, a further 41mm in length. The pattern of wear suggests this stepped shape is not original and results from use or damage.From the terminal the object turns at 90 degrees and narrows to 1.85mm in width and 3.8mm deep, and is decorated along both sides with nine ring and dot motifs.It then broadens out to 3.5mm in width all along the stepped section. The underside of this is also decorated with a further sixteen ring and dots, but at right angles to the first section. The final part of the object changes from a rectangular to an oval cross-section, with linear moulded decoration all the way round. It tapers once more to the opposite terminal, which is flat and at right angles to the final section. It finishes with a semi-circular shape suggesting a broken loop. The object measures 97.96mm in overal length and weighs 4.49g. Whilst its function is unclear, there are several possibilties. The looped terminal and ring and dot motif can both be found on spoons of the Middle Saxon period, with examples known from Southampton (Hinton 1996) and Norfolk, see PAS NMS 13C4121 and NMS 56DA56. It could be a spoon stem, with the pierced triangular terminal representing the beginning of the bowl, especially if it was used as a strainer spoon. An example from Brandon, Suffolk from a ninth century context, of a spoon/fork combination, has a pierced central bowl with small holes around the perimeter of the bowl terminal. The two little holes from this Coddenham example may be all that survives of a strainer bowl. (Webster and Backhouse 1991).
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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