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Description: | Cast and wrought copper alloy penannular (open) bracelet or armlet probably dating to either the late Roman or the Early Medieval (Anglo-Saxon) period (300 - 1000 AD). The bracelet is formed from a length of irregular oval sectioned cast copper alloy wire. This wire has been bent into an irregular oval shape (broadly C shape in plan) to form the bracelet. The wire measures 3.8mm width and is 2.6mm thick. The two terminals of the bracelet are formed from bending and flattening the last 7.5mm of each end of the bracelet back upon themselves. This forms two U shaped sub-rectangular terminals. The upper area of each of the terminals has been decorated with a series of four transverse incised oval lines. The bracelet measures 40.4mm length and 37.9mm width and is 5.1mm thick. The internal diameter of the bracelet is 34.7mm x 25.2mm. It weighs 5.23 grams.
Apart from the incised decoration on the terminals there the bracelet is plain with no other incised or cast designs. The bracelet is a mid dark green brown colour with an even (but abraded) patina which covers all surfaces. The abrasion and movement in the soil have resulted in the bracelet becoming slightly misshapen. The abrasion has also removed areas of the thick patina revealing the metal beneath. There are also small patches of active light green corrosion present. These are most apparent on both the damaged areas and around the terminals. The size of this bracelet is remarkably small and this would suggest that it probably belonged to either a small adult or more probably a child (possibly an infant). This type of penannular bracelet is difficult to date due to the longevity of the overall form. From the style and the thick deep patina present a late Roman or Early Medieval date has been suggested. Both Crummy ?Roman small finds from excavations in Colchester? pages 42-43 (figures 1683-1684, 1687-1688 and 1702) and the Macgregor and Bolick ?Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections in the Ashmolean Museum? pages 166-167 (figures 26.10, 26.12 ? 26.13-26.16) have comparable parallels of this form of bracelet; however, a direct parallel with the same shape in plan and decorated terminals has not been found. | 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: | 300
1000 | 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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