Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

Fig 165 Phallic amulets from Vaison and Colchester (1:2) (figure
courtesy of S Greep)
they might be claimed as a purely military type rather
than as simply masculine in character and of an early
date is not certain.
Notes
1 Pre-Flavian examples of bone fist and phallus amulets are
recorded from London (Woods et al 1975, fig 3, 24) and
Southwark (Kenyon 1959, fig 31, 6). Flavian or generally 1stcentury
pieces are known at Chester (unpublished, Grosvenor
Museum Excavations section), Canterbury (Greep forthcoming
b), Fishbourne (Cunliffe 1971, fig 67, 11), Wroxeter (two
examples, unpublished, excavations directed by Dr G Webster),
Vindonissa (unpublished, Vindonissa Museum), Pompeii
(unpublished, Naples Museum), and Ristissen (Ulbert 1970,
Abb 28, 468).
140
Colchester has produced the largest number of hand
and phallus pendants from Britain and the Rhineland.
In addition to the two pieces published here, a
Boudican example was found on North Hill (Dunnett
1971, fig 14, 33) and the Acton Collection contains
another (CM 1296). These four are supplemented by
two further and important pieces. Both are unfinished
and represent the only evidence for the manufacture
of these pendants known. The first (May 1930, 254)
was recovered from a pre-Flavian cremation and had
been burnt with it. An attempt had been made to drill
the hole, presumably with a hollow-bit drill, but this
had been abandoned and the hole still contains a plug
of bone. The second piece (Fig 165 (right); CM 283.35)
has only the phallus carved. The other end tapers to a
squared-off section. No attempt has been made to
produce the hand or the central perforation. This
example may have been discarded because the
uncarved end was left too narrow, although at
107.0 mm the object is still much longer than many of
the completed pieces which range from 65.0 to
80.0mm.
2 In addition to those listed in footnote 1, examples of bone fist
and phallus amulets are recorded from Novaesium (Lehner
.1904, Taf 35, 6), Vechten (unpublished, Archeologisch Institut,
Utrecht, lnv.6087), Heddernheim (unpublished. Museum fur
Vor- und Fruhgeschichte, Frankfurt, Inv 1219), and
Cambodunum (Kramer 1957, Taf 23, 7). There are also six
unprovenanced examples in the British Museum (1974 10-9
130; 19 11-13(3); 1974 10-5 1; 51 8-13 206).