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Description: | An incomplete copper alloy 'Horn Cap' of the Middle to Late Iron Age, dating from c. BC 300 - c. AD 43.The horn cap consists of two circular discs, one larger than the other. The shaft and decorative terminals are missing, presumed lost in antiquity.Image 2: Smaller 'disc'The disc is circular in shape and slightly D shaped in section. There is a circular perforation or hole in the centre of the object (diameter: 24.3 mm), which has been surrounded on the front/top with a raised ridge that has a curved outside edge. On the inner edge of the perforation there is a rectangular groove, situated just above the base of the object. The groove has a depth of 3.8 mm and it is unclear what it is for. It is possible that it could have been used hold the shaft in place, or to hold a further piece of decorative metal work. The base of the disc is domed slightly in the centre, with the inner edge tapering gently towards the hole and the outer edge tapering gently from the centre. There are circular markings on the surface suggesting this object was finished on a lathe.The object measures 69.0 mm in diameter and has a maximum thickness of 11.9 mm, and is 8.0 mm thick without the ridge. It weighs 94.1 g.The object is a mid green in colour with an uneven patina. There are traces of iron corrosion on the surface of the object however this appears to be stable. This disc would have been placed at the top of the horn cap.Image 1: Larger 'disc'The disc is circular in plan and irregular (broadly H shaped with extended cross bar) in section. There is a circular perforation in the centre of the object (diameter: 25.0 mm). On the top this perforation has a bevelled inside edge, it is possible that this has been decorated as there are pointed oval shaped indentations on the surface, however it is unclear whether this is decoration or damage as a result of time in the plough soil. There is a raised rectangular ridge at the top and the base, each about a third of the way in from the outer edge. The inner edge of the ridge curves gently towards the perforation, the outer edge of the ridge is domed. The ridge is deeper on the inner edge than the outer, this is echoed on the reverse. As mentioned the reverse is decorated in a similar way to the top, except here the sides of the perforation flare up, making the centre of the object rasied. The sides then slope down, forming a dip in the centre. From this dip the disc gently curves upward to where it joins the ridge.The object measures 100.5 mm in diameter and has a maximum thickness of 13.5 mm with the raised ridge, and 5.8 mm when measured without. It weighs 299.1 g.The object is a dark green in colour with an even patina. Again there are traced of green corrosion, this time on the front surface, but again this appears to be stable.Abrasion caused by movement whilst within the plough soil may have caused the loss of some of the original surface detail on both pieces. Other examples of horn caps have been recorded on the database, including SOMDOR-699AD4. Taken from SOMDOR-699AD4: This is an enigmatic type of object as no one is clear what they were made for. Horn Caps, however, were almost certainly not made to fit on the end of the axle of an Iron Age chariot. There are probably only about 20 or so Horn Caps in Museums or private collections. They have only been found in Britain, and have never been found in other parts of Europe. Horn Caps were made in the Middle and Late Iron Age (c.300 BC to AD 43), Several have been found with other Iron Age objects.Other than one example found at Llyn Cerig Bach on Anglesey, Horn Caps have only been found in southern England from Somerset to Norfolk. Several examples were found at Ham Hill in Somerset and a number of others were found in different parts of the river Thames. Horn caps are usually made from several parts, cast separately in moulds and then put together. The fine finish and perfectly circular section through out the object suggests that the models around which the mould was made was finished using a lath. What Horn Caps were made for is still unclear. In Victorian times it was thought that there were made to decorate on the ends of the axles of a chariot or wagon. However, the size of the axle of an Iron Age chariot is too large to fit in the shaft of a Horn Cap. The thin pole on which Horn Caps would fit would be very likely to be broken off if it were projecting out of the end of an axle. Many archaeologists have struggled to explain what Horn Caps were made for. Most have suggested that are parts of chariots, even if they have all agreed they are not axle ends. Cyril Fox argued they were for decorating the ends of the yoke that stretched over the shoulders of the ponies pulling a chariot. Alternatively, he thought that might be hand holds on the side of the chariot. Another position suggested by Mansel Spratling is to decorate the end of the pole between the two ponies. There is, however, no concrete prove that Horn Caps have anything to do with chariots or wagons. Over 30 graves containing Iron Age chariots have now been found in England and Scotland, most in East Yorkshire. None of these chariots has a Horn Cap, although they are usually buried with all the other metal parts attached to the chariot and the horses' harness. If Horn Caps were parts of used on British chariots, why have they not been found in any British grave containing a chariot? Because of this, it is likely that Horn Caps were probably not made to be part of a chariot at all. They may well have been used as the tops of staffs or ceremonial maces (J. D. Hill, Curator of the Iron Age, British Museum, 22/11/2005).
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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