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Description: | A Post Medieval copper alloy gnomon from a sundial, dating AD 1550-1620. The object is triangular in shape. It has a straight edge, a decorated (fimbriated) edge and an edge that has a single perforation towards the decorated end and two tenons that would have fitted into the sundial. The purpose of the perforation is unclear, though Dr John Davis (pers. comm.) suggests this means it was not of the folding variety of sundial. The 'style' (sloping) edge has been chamfered, which Dr John Davis notes is "to give the best possible shadow".The metal is a mid-light brown with a mid-light green patch of corrosion in the centre of each side.The differential colouration on the object may be evidence of a decoration on each face of the object, either plating or inlay, no longer visible due to the degree of corrosion. The elemental composition of the piece has been analysed by Dr John Davis:"The basic material is a medium- to low-zinc leaded brass with no tin (Sn) meaning that it is quite likely to have been imported as sheet, rather than produced from re-melted scrap in England. The large variability in the patination looks to be the results of local amounts of dezincification, possibly due to the soil that it was in contact with. The iron, Fe, level is quite high as would be expected for an archaeological find."Location of analysis on gnomon Cu Zn Pb Fe Tn East, centre (Green corrosion) 82.7 11.4 3.7 2.1 0.2 West, toe 85.6 8.3 3.3 2.6 0.2 West, tip 78.1 18.6 2.2 1.1 East, toe. 82.3 11.5 3.8 2.3 0.2 A similar, undecorated example, is recorded on the PAS database (NMS-4C0746). Dr John Davis notes "The base isn't straight making an accurate measurement of the design angle impossible. Values in the range 50.5 to 53.0 degrees are obtained depending on which segment of the base is used as a reference. As the standard angle for London is 51.5 degrees, the likelihood is that it was made for there or more generally southern England". He also notes that the fimbriated and chamfered edges suggest that it is "from quite an early dial, before say 1620 but after 1550."What is also of note is that the object was found in close proximity to the site of a Medieval moated manor at Mingers (HER no. 12167), with a substantial manor complex present on the site during the period this gnomon was in use. In all probability the sundial came from this manor.Dimensions: length: 53.13 mm; height: 51.50 mm; thickness: 1.71 mm; weight: 15.29g.Identified by Dr John Davis editor (2015) of the quarterly journal of the British Sundial Society.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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