TREASURE ANNU AL REPORT 2005/6 - Portable Antiquities Scheme

104. East Walton, Norfolk: Roman silver crossbow
or p-shaped brooch fragment (2005 T60)
pAs ID: Nms-CED6E6
Found by Mr S Brown while metal-detecting in
February 2005; disclaimed, returned to finder.
A ROGERSON
105. Great Witchingham, Norfolk: Roman silver
crossbow brooch fragment (2005 T579)
pAs ID: Nms-366083
Found by Mr J Fleming while metal-detecting in
September 2005; disclaimed, returned to finder.
A ROGERSON
106. Flixton, suffolk: Roman silver plain p-shaped or
crossbow brooch foot fragment (2006 T295)
pAs ID: pAs-8A1F75
Found by Mrs F Crickmore while metal-detecting in
May 2006; disclaimed, returned to finder
A ROGERSON
(III) FINGER-RINGs
107. North Cornwall: Roman gold finger-ring
(2006 T463)
Date: 1st century AD
Discovery: Found by Mr J Clemes while metaldetecting
in September 2006.
Description: A tiny Roman gold finger-ring with a
slender hoop and flat oval bezel incised with a stylized
palm branch. External diameter: 16.2mm; internal
diameter: 14.5mm; weight: 1.2g.
Discussion: The diminutive size of the ring suggests it
was made for a child. The motif, common on Roman
rings of gold, silver and bronze, symbolised victory and
gave protection from malign forces. In death it was
believed to help the wearer reach the afterlife. The type
may be dated 1st to 3rd century AD, but the present
ring most likely dates as above.
Disposition: Royal Cornwall Museum hopes to acquire.
A TYACKE & R JACKSON
108. Cottered, hertfordshire:
Roman silver finger-ring (2006 T418)
Date: 1st–3rd century AD
Discovery: Found by Mr P Banks while metal-detecting
in September 2006.
Description: A small Roman finger-ring. The width of
the circular hoop, very slender at the back, expands
evenly to the lightly convex bezel, on which is a
simple, lightly-incised, stylised image of a palm branch.
External diameter: 19mm; internal diameter: 17mm;
weight: 2.3g.
Discussion: This motif, quite frequently found
Empire-wide on Roman rings of gold, silver and
bronze, was the commonly used symbol of victory,
believed to offer protection from malign forces. In
death it was supposed to help the wearer reach the
afterlife. Comparative examples in the British Museum
collections include one in gold from London (AF 165)
and one in silver from Slay Hill Saltings, Kent
(PY 1883, 1213.559).
Disposition: Hertford Museum hopes to acquire.
R JACKSON
109. unknown: Roman gold finger- or ear-ring
(2006 T1)
Date: c. 1st–2nd century AD
Discovery: Bought on eBay and submitted as potential
Treasure.
Description: A filigree gold ring. The hoop consists
of a drawn strand of wire which has been twisted
along its length, with a simple hook-and-loop catch
formed by the wire terminals. The top of the ring is
decorated with a thinner piece of wire formed into an
applied quadruple spiral, the end of which has been
twisted around one of the shoulders. External diameter:
19.0mm; internal diameter: 16.0mm; weight: 1.91g.
Discussion: There are no exact parallels for this
jewellery item. It has similarities with ear-rings and
finger-rings with spiral decoration, a common Roman
motif. Given the position of the decoration at the top
of the hoop, it looks more likely to be finger-ring, as
otherwise the spiral motif would not be readily visible
if hung from the ear.
Disposition: Not Treasure, returned to purchaser.
R HOBBS
110. sudbury area, suffolk:
Roman gold finger-ring (2006 T537)
Date: Probably 1st–2nd century AD
Discovery: Found by Mr M Matthews while metaldetecting
in October 2006.
Description: A gold probable finger-ring now distorted,
consisting of a slender twisted ribbon of gold with tiny
flat-backed snake heads in low relief at the terminals.
The rendering of the snake heads is reduced to a
pattern of swellings, curves and lines.
Discussion: This finger-ring is probably of Johns type
Bii (Johns 1997, 36, fig 9), being of penannular form
with two confronted snakes head terminals. It is similar
in style to over 30 examples from the Snettisham
hoard. However, these are all in silver, indeed no
published example in gold of type Bii could be found,
although there are examples in copper alloy (Johns
1997,100–105). Length: 37.55mm; width of terminals:
4.36mm; weight: 2.49g.
Disposition: British Museum.
F MINTER & R JACKSON
111. southwark, London: Roman silver finger-ring
(2006 T563)
Date: 2nd century AD
Discovery: Found by Museum of London Archaeology
Service during controlled excavation of a Roman
building sequence in February 2006.
Description: A Roman penannular silver snake’s head
finger-ring, with heavy surface corrosion. The heads
appear three-dimensional, detailed and naturalistic.
The hoop has a thick, circular section. External
diameter: 24mm; internal diameter: 15.5mm; weight:
9g. The ring conforms to Johns Type Bi (Johns 1997).
Disposition: To be determined.
60 ROMAN ROMAN 61
N POWELL
112. Goring heath, oxfordshire: Roman silver
penannular finger-ring (2006 T526)
Date: Probably 2nd century AD
Discovery: Found by Mr C Price while metal-detecting
in February 2006.
Description: A Roman silver penannular finger-ring
with snake-head terminals and oval hoop. The sides
of the oval-sectioned hoop expand towards the flatbacked
terminals. The snake heads are worn and highly
stylised and the only surviving details are the tiny pits
for the eyes and a slight nasal ridge before a central
groove at the rear of the head. The ring is an example
of Johns type Bii (Johns 1997). External dimensions:
20.9 x 24.5mm; terminal width: 6.7mm; weight: 5.7g.
Disposition: Oxfordshire Museums Service hopes to
acquire.
M LODWICK & R JACKSON
113. Nether Wallop, hampshire:
Roman silver finger-ring (2006 T166)
Date: 2nd–3rd century AD
Discovery: Found by Mr P Barker while metaldetecting
in March 2006.
Description: A Roman silver finger-ring, with rounded
hoop and flattened bezel. The bottom of the hoop
is decorated with two parallel lines of punched dots,
which continue up the expanded triangular shoulders
which are decorated with additional incised lines
and triangular mouldings. The rectangular bezel is
undecorated. External diameter: 21.1mm; internal
diameter: 19.1mm; weight: 2.4g.
Disposition: Hampshire Museums Service hopes
to acquire.
R HOBBS
114. Gisburn, Lancashire: Roman silver finger-ring
(2005 T230)
Date: 2nd–3rd century AD
Discovery: Found by Mr G Peak while metal-detecting
in May 2005.
Description: A small Roman silver finger-ring with
flat bezel. The incomplete plain hoop, recently broken
at the back, its narrowest point, has one small joining
fragment. A stylised palm branch is incised into the
ovoid bezel. Internal width: 14.9mm; external width:
17.9mm; weight: 2.6g.
Disposition: Lancashire Museums had hoped to
acquire but withdrew; returned to finder.
R JACKSON
115. Roxby cum Risby, North Lincolnshire:
Roman silver finger-ring (2006 T301)
Date: Probably 2nd–3rd century AD
Discovery: Found by Mr D Sainter while metaldetecting
in March 2006.
Description: A small silver finger-ring, quite heavily
worn. The broad bulbous bezel has scalloped margins
and incorporates the shoulders, which reduce sharply
to a narrow hoop. External diameter: 18.5mm; internal
diameter: 15.9mm; weight: 4.4g.
Disposition: North Lincolnshire Museum hopes to
acquire.
R JACKSON
116. pentney, Norfolk:
Roman silver finger-ring fragment (2006 T305)
Date: Probably 2nd–3rd century AD
Discovery: Found by Mr M Coggles while metaldetecting
in April 2006.
Description: A fragmentary silver finger-ring set with
a glass intaglio. Almost all the slender hoop is lacking,
leaving just the bezel and small moulded shoulders.
The form is related to Henig Types Xb and XIII (Henig
1978). The oval bezel is set with an oval glass intaglio
(imitating nicolo) with a blue upper layer and black
lower layer. The lightly cambered surface of the intaglio
is flawed, worn and slightly degraded. It has a rather
poorly preserved impressed design depicting the
celebrated scene of a reclining Leda seduced by Jupiter
in the form of a swan. A similar scene, though with the
addition of a couch, is known in red jasper intaglios, a
fragmentary example, from Springhead, Kent (Henig
1978, no. 478). Max. length: 16.5mm; intaglio: 12 x
9mm; weight: 3.15g.
Disposition: Norwich Castle Museum.
R JACKSON & A MARSDEN