Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

IRON KNIFE OR CLEAVER BLADES
(Fig 113; 2940-2951)
2942 Fig 113 SF LWC 2990(C), J802 F261. Shallow pit. Period 4
or post-Roman? Fragments of a blade with part of a tang of
rectangular section. The edge and back of the narrow blade
appear to be straight and parallel. The tip is missing. The fine
edge makes this unlikely to be a hand-saw blade (cf Manning
1974, fig 70, 356-60). Length 119.0mm, width 15.0mm.
2944 Fig 113 SF LWC 3343(C), J1071 F353. Pit. Period 4a (early).
Two fragments of a knife with the blade and handle made in
one piece (Manning 1972, fig 65, 41). The blade is too
corroded for description. Fragments of two rivets survive in
the handle, indicating probably that two bone or wooden
plates were originally attached to provide a smooth grip. This
is supported by the differing degrees of corrosion affecting
blade and handle, and also by the ridge of corrosion along
part of one edge of the handle. The handle ends in a loop. No
measurement of length can be given as the central part of
the handle is missing. Width approximately 20.0mm.
2947 Fig 113 SF LWC 3483, J1232 F419. Pit. Period 1. Two
fragments of a knife with a square section tang. The edge of
the blade is straight and the back curves to meet it at the tip,
which is missing. Adhering to the tang is a small fragment of
iron-impregnated bone, the position and shape of which
suggests that the handle to this knife was probably of the
plain waisted one-piece type described above (Fig 110).
Certainy the shape of the blade conforms to that of complete
examples fitted with this type of handle (Greep forthcoming
a, fig 1, 1, pl 1), and the central tang further supports this
idea. Length (incomplete) 180.0mm, maximum width of
blade 29.5 mm.
2949 Fig 113 SF BKC 5067, T93 L31. Occupation with charcoal.
Period 1. A small heavy knife or cleaver with an arched back
and a handle continuing the curve of the back. The edge of
the blade seems to have been straight originally. The edge
towards the tip has broken off. There is a similar early
cleaver from Hod Hill (Brailsford 1962, pl 8, G91) and
another from Kingsholm (see Manning 1974, 171). Length
210.0mm, maximum width 47.0mm.
2950 Fig 113 SF BUC 387/391, B1062 Gl 71; Grave deposit.
Period 2. An iron knife in three fragments with a copperalloy
handle. The handle has bead-and-reel mouldings and a
terminal suspension loop through which is passed a copperalloy
penannular ring, originally fixed with a soldered lap
joint which has now sprung apart. Through this ring passed
a copper-alloy chain of S-shaped links of rectangular to Dshaped
section. The chain has a hook-and-eye fastener
decorated with rough incised lines. The knife has a straight
edged and curved back. The tip is missing. The tang is set in
from the edge. Length (incomplete) of knife including handle
120.5 mm. Maximum width of blade 22.5 mm. Surviving
length of chain with fastener 674.0mm. Adhering to one
side of the blade and base of the handle are fragments of
textile. The weave is plain and part of a selvedge can be
distinguished. A report by John Peter Wild on the textile is
given under 4301. The blade may have been sheathed in a
leather scabbard before it was wrapped in the cloth. An iron
knife (2950a) wrapped in textile was found in an
inhumation in the St John's Abbey cemetery (IRB).
HONES (Fig 114; 2952-2972)
While the majority of the hones are of calcareous
sandstones deriving from either the Hythe Beds of
Kent, the Spilsby sandstones of Lincolnshire, or
possibly the Howardian Hills of West Yorkshire (the
two former are the most likely sources), two rather
more unusual examples are 2957 from the area of
the Forest of Dean and 2961 from the south-west
peninsula. 3
2953 Fig 114SF LWC 687, B287 F111. Shallow pit or settlement.
Period 5. A fragment of a rectangular section hone, 29 0 by
19.0mm. The undersurface is rough and clearly has not
been used. Micaceous calcareous sandstone with ostracod
fragments. Length (incomplete) 59.5 mm. Fig 114 Hones (1:2)
111