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Date: |
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Description: | Fragment of a possible cast copper alloy tile comb of probable Roman date (43-410 AD).
The fragment consists of the lower handle and the comb. In plan the tile comb resembles an inverted T. It measures 37.1mm in length, has a maximum width of 24.7mm, and is 3.7mm thick. It weighs 4.16 grams.
The lower handle is sub-rectangular in plan and flares towards the base where it meets the comb. It is sub-oval in cross section. The handle measures 27.1mm in length, 4.6mm minimum and 6.1mm maximum in width and is 3.7mm thick. The comb is sub-triangular in plan with the comb edge being the longest axis and set at right angles to the handle. The cross section is sub-rectangular. Where the lower handle expands (flares) and joins the body of the comb there is a slight rounded shoulder. Below this the sub-triangular body begins. Both of the angular edges have been badly eroded and so a true profile is difficult to achieve. The least damaged side of the triangular comb is slightly convex, where as the side with the most damage is concave. The body of the comb measures 10.3mm in length, 24.7mm in width and is 2.4mm thick.
The impression edge of the comb has also suffered from significant abrasion. However, in places along its length, a series of small sub-triangular teeth survive. These teeth are rather small and short. They are arranged so that they tessellate and form a zigzag wavy line.
The tile comb is a mid - light green colour with a broken and abraded patina which covers all surfaces. This indicates that the handle was broken in antiquity. There are also a number of areas of light green powdery active corrosion present on many of the surfaces. As previously mentioned the tile comb has been badly abraded in the plough soil and this has distorted much of the detail and design present.
A small number of similar tile combs have been recorded in the West Midlands both by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (WMID3842 and WMID2802) and other local museums. One of these examples has been published by Roger White (1997 A Roman Tile Comb from Hanley Hall, Shropshire; in CBA West Midlands Archaeology 40 pp 14-15). Another tile comb similar to the one described here can be seen in G. De la Bedoyere Finds of Roman Britain (pp 58-59 fig 34b).
There is some doubt as to the item described above being a tile comb, hence it being recorded as a possible tile comb. The reason for this is the large amount of damage to both the impression edge and the patina. An alternative interpretation of this artefact is that it could be an 18th century pastry cutter or jigger. These have similar impression edges. A possible parallel for this interpretation can be seen in Gordon Bailey's: Detector Finds; 1997. p96 example 2. | Format: | text/html | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ | Publisher: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Rights holder: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Subjects: | archaeology | Temporal: | 43
410 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Peter Reavill | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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