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Date: |
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Description: | Date of find; Cast lead medieval ampulla (c.14th/15th century). Mass: 92.0g, length: 62.2mm, width: 34.7mm, depth: 16.0mm. The ampulla is hollow and broadly drop shaped in plan with a crimped or crushed opening at the top. The ampulla has a pointed-oval shaped cross section, although it has been partially crushed. There are handles on the sides near to the top of the ampulla. The front of the ampulla is decorated with a ?crowned/mitred bust facing, in relief. Around the recessed front edge is a legend: (+SC)ANTA: M(CC)VV( )[ ]. The meaning of this legend is unclear to the recorder. Some of the letters are retrograde. The reverse is undecorated, but as on the front, the edge is slightly recessed. The ampulla has a pitted off-white/brown matt surface. In:"Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum Medieval Catalogue" (1990, p57-8), Spencer states that: "Ampullae were another important kind of pilgrim souvenir. Generally flask-shaped, but with a narrow, flattish section, they were designed to contain a dose of the thaumaturgic water that was dispensed to pilgrims at many shrines and holy wells. Like pilgrim badges, ampullae, too, were normally made of tin or tin-lead alloy and were provided with a pair of handles or loops so that they could be conveniently suspended from a cord or chain around the wearers neck." The mouths were usually crimped to seal the contents (ibid. p 61). Spencer states that ampullae came into use in the last quarter of the twelfth century and were in England almost the only kind of pilgrim souvenir to be had during the thirteenth century (ibid. p58). He argues that those cast in lead particularly in the fourteenth or fifteenth century are robust.
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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