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Description: | An incomplete copper alloy 'miniature' knobbed terret ring of probable later Iron Age or early Roman dating (100 BC - AD 200).Approximately 50% of the terret survives, originally it would have been D shaped in plan; it is now an irregular crescent (C shape). The terret is poorly cast, with multiple air bubbles present. The cross section varies in shape along the length of the terret; for the majority it is oval / lentoid. At the base of the ring is a horizontal strap bar with an angular faceted lentoid cross section. This bar is incomplete; all that remains is a short section and scar at one end. The strap bar itself is slight and much thinner than the ring, it is also slightly offset. The ring itself is thicker with distinct raised moulded lappet (circumferential swelling or collar) at the junction with the bar. Originally the ring would have had an angular arch; decorated with a series of evenly spaced knops. Only one of these knops survives, it is sub rectangular in shape being a raised knop that projects from the ring. The upper part of this knop terminates in a flat platform. The base of the knop is further decorated with a circumferential (basal) groove, at the point where it meets the harness ring. The ring thins after this external knop. It is possible that it may also have been thinned by wear - but the condition does not allow this interpretation. The incomplete terret measures 30.3 mm in length and 26.1 mm wide. The ring is 6.7mm wide and 5.5 mm thick. The surviving knop projects 5.9 mm and measures 11.7 mm long by 7.5 mm. The strap bar is 5.1 mm wide and 4.6 mm thick. The terret ring fragment weighs 7.0 grams.Similar shaped terret rings are known from both Iron Age and Roman contexts. A large number of similar sized terret rings can be seen in McGregor: Early Celtic Art in Northern Britain; however most of these have knops rather than raised platforms. All these are dated from either late Iron Age or early Roman contexts. Several similar knobbed terret rings have been recorded on the PAS database including: NLM-B907F0, HESH-8B4982, IOW-464A93 and ESS-299441.
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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