Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

seems to have been a realistically executed figure (apart
from the treatment of the fur, which is, however, effective).
The hare was sacred to the Britons and was apparently
sacrificed by Boudica to her war-goddess (Green 1976, 34).
This piece could have been a grave good in a north-south
burial destroyed by later grave-digging activities, or possibly
a lost toy. The hollow body suggests that this could be a
female hare crouching over her young which would have
fitted within the space (cf the hare brooch, Henderson 1949,
pl 29, 44). However, the gouging-out of the underside and
the faintly-incised decoration and inscription on the bottom
could be secondary especially since the workmanship here
certainly seems of a lower order than that of the rest of the
piece. The hare was noted for being prolific and hence if this
piece derives from an earlier grave on the site it could be
seen as a symbol of life-after-death (Professor J M C
Toynbee, pers comm).
4278 Fig 176 SF BUC 1757, C1739 F62. Ditch. Period 1. A
pipeclay fragment possibly from a Central Gaulish figurine
of a pigeon similar to Rouvier-Jeanlin 1972, 1211, 3
Length
55.5 mm, height 37.5 mm. A 2nd-century date seems likely
for the object. The pigeon is the bird of Venus (Green 1976,
20). A pipeclay pseudo-Venus fragment also came from Butt
Road (Fig 167, 4263).
Fig 176 Fragment of a ?pigeon figurine (1:1)
4279 Fig 177 SF MID 682, A2641 L262. Demolition debris of
Period 3. Most of a pipeclay figurine of a ram, probably
imported from Central Gaul. Length 108.5mm, maximum
height 76.5 mm. The figure is quite worn and rough but the
right hand view of the face shows that where details from
the mould survive a well executed design was achieved. The
central line of the figure where the two halves of the mould
joined has been knife-trimmed at the leather-hard stage, as
have the rudimentary legs and base. The ram is a beast of
Mercury, the patron of merchants and of flocks and herds
(Toynbee 1964, 71). It is particularly appropriate that this
figure was recovered from a large house which combined
commercial rooms along the street frontage with spacious
living quarters to the rear decorated in a style that indicated
the wealth of the owner.
Fig 177 Ram figurine (1:2)
145
MODEL (7VOTIVE) OBJECTS (Fig 178;
4280-4283)
4280 Fig 178 SF LWC 2652(C), J587. Upper gravel surface of
footway. Period 4. A fragment of a copper-alloy vine branch
with a single leaf at the tip and two side tendrils, one with a
?bud at the tip. The veins of the leaf are indicated by incised
lines. Length 54.0mm. This branch could have come from a
Bacchic figurine or group, or possibly from a handle.
4281 Fig 178 SF BKC 859, D207 (F6). Shallow depression. Period
6 or later. A fragment of a pipeclay aedicula, probably from
Central Gaul (as Rouvier-Jeanlin 1972, 242-4). The piece
shows the central one of three projections, ornamented at
the tip with an applied rosette, which sometimes surmount
these niches in which votive figurines could be placed. The
examples illustrated by Rouvier-Jeanlin have rosettes of
eight petals. This rosette has only five. Length 65.0 mm. The
fragment probably belongs to the late 1st or 2nd century.
4282 Fig 178 SF BKC 1206(C), E319 L448. Town ditch (F138) fill.
Late Period 6 or Anglo-Saxon. Probably a fragment of a jet
model axe head. The vertical element is pierced for either
suspension or attachment to a shaft. A piece has been
broken off from one end. Length 29.0mm. Model axes are
quite numerous in Britain (Green 1976,42). This particular
example may be associated with the ?shrine on the same
site (Crummy 1980, 266-72).
4283 Fig 178 SF BKC 4258(C), N233 F84. Pit. Period 6. A bone
scabbard for a model sword. 4
The rear face of the scabbard is
plain, the front has two parallel horizontal ribs indicating
binding round the upper edge, and two other ribs running
from just below these to the bottom. There is a projection at
each side of the bottom of the scabbard, and two curved
fittings, pierced for attachment to a belt, flank the top. The
scabbard would have held a metal miniature sword. The
hole for the blade was made by drilling a hole the length of
the scabbard, then from the top widening it for most of its
length to a rectangle. The bottom of the hole, still circular,
was filled with a bone plug. Length 58.5 mm.
VOTIVE PLAQUE (4284)
4284 Hassall 1977, pl 27, c. An ansate copper-alloy plaque with
an inscription in punched lettering to Jupiter, found during
building works following archaeological excavations on the
St Helena's School site within the temenos of Temple 2
(Crummy 1980, 252).
METAL LETTERS (Fig 179; 4285-4286)
These objects were used to embellish inscriptions by
sitting in the carved recessed grooves of the letters.
They could be used on civilian inscriptions as well as
religious ones, and on domestic shrines as well as in
temples.
4285 Fig 179 SF LWC 569(C), B208 (F88/F91 /F84). Shallow pit.
Period 5. Most of a corroded copper-alloy letter A. A rivet
survives at one end of the horizontal stroke. A letter A was
found at Richborough (Henderson 1949, pl 56, 274). Height
57.5 mm, thickness 0.5 mm.
4286 Fig 179 SF MID 41(C), B177 F37. Brick structure, c
18th/19th century. A white-metal coated copper-alloy
letter L. All the serifs have been damaged, those on the left
were possibly clipped off. There are two stout riveted
projections on the underside for attachment. Possibly post-
Roman. Height 44.5 mm, thickness 2.0 mm.
AMULETS (Fig 180; 4287-4288)
Other amulets and pieces with probable amuletic
significance can be found under Category 1, (Fig 54,
1802-6) and Category 13 (Fig 163, 4255, 4257 and
Fig 164, 4258, 4259).
4287 Fig 180 SF BKC 4548, T59 F15. Pit. Period 5 (a or) b. A
crescent-shaped pendant of circular section with a