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Description: | A slightly damaged but complete, cast copper-alloy slide key for a Roman tumbler lock. At its terminal it has a distorted circular loop, or bow, bent down slightly as well as squashed (19.85 by 17.6 by 5.2mm). The rectangular stem is plain (12.5 by 11.0 by 7.2mm). Below, the stem contracts to a width of 5.6mm, tapering down gradually to 5.0mm over 8.3mm; it is also slightly thinned. The bit of the key projects from the handle at a right angle and off centre. It is rectangular in shape and would have had six teeth arranged in two rows of three, beyond the handle. In total the bit measures 23.4mm in length, 13.8mm in width and up to 7.75mm in thickness (across the two rows of teeth). One of the teeth has been lost from the outer corner of the upper row; that adjacent to it has been bent to one side. Similar slide keys can be found illustrated in Manning (1995, 266, 267; refs. 8-10); at Usk they were found in pre-Flavian contexts. This artefact has corroded to a variable mid/dark-green colour with patches of lighter pitting.
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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