Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

BONE OFFCUTS OR UNFINISHED
OBJECTS (Fig 183; 4314-4331)
4314 Fig 183 SF LWC 969, C195. Make-up. Period 4. A strip of
dense bone cut into a length of slightly tapering rectangular
section 7.0 by 6.0mm. Both ends are broken. One end
shows a groove across the width of the strip. The piece has
been polished. Length 61.0mm.
4317 Fig 183 SF BKC 420(C), A107 F16. Town ditch fill. Anglo-
Saxon or Period 6. An offcut with one straight edge and the
other edge cut into a low curve. Length 42.0mm, thickness
3.0mm.
4318 Fig 183 SF BKC 1657, E286 L447. Town ditch (F138) fill.
Late Period 6 or Anglo-Saxon. A parallel-sided strip,
rectangular in section, 10.5 by 5.0mm, probably intended
for use as inlay. One end seems to have broken across. It
may have been cut. The other end is cut but damaged. At that
end there is a faint ?marker line close to the edge. Length
55.5 mm.
Fig 183 Bone offcuts or unfinished objects (1:1)
150
4324 Fig 183 SF BKC 2605(C), H12 L2. Topsoil. Post-Roman. A
length of bone partly turned on a lathe with spool-and-bead
mouldings. One end of the piece is broken, the other end is
unturned lathe waste, knife-trimmed into a rough
hexagonal section. Length 81.0mm, diameter 9.0mm.
Possibly post-Roman.
4325 Fig 183 SF BKC 2725(C), H12 L2 Topsoil. Post-Roman.
Similar to 4324. One end is broken, the other cut and
polished Length 73.0mm, diameter 9.5mm. Possibly post-
Roman.
WORKED TOOTH FRAGMENT (Fig 184;
4332)
4332 Fig 184 SF CPS 987, L88. Make-up, burnt. Period 4. A
fragment of a pig's canine (identified by A Gouldwell), with a
small perforation at the upper end. There is no wear of the
perforation to suggest that the object was worn as an
amulet. Length 42.5 mm.
Fig-184 Worked tooth fragment (1:1)
A BONE-WORKING INDUSTRY ON
BALKERNE LANE AREA N (Figs 185 and
186; 4333-4347)
A collection of bone worked fragments and offcuts
derives from the latest levels of BKC N. Many of the
pieces are from the same layer and are of similar
shape, while others are included here because it
seems reasonable to assume that they are related to
the main group. All are probably from long bones.
Fifteen pieces were recovered in all. Four are tapering
wedge-shaped objects of rectangular section, with
the plane of the broad face of the thinner end at right
angles to the broad face of the thicker end. Three are
similar to the wedge-shaped pieces, but are not
trimmed down to a fine edge at one end. Two are
offcuts from similar items. Two are of similar length
but have a more rounded section and may be pegs,
though their narrow end is quite broad on one plane
suggesting that they may be linked to the previous
pieces. Two are fragments of long bones either
discarded or yet to be cut up. One is the sawn-off end
of a long bone with the articulation broken off. The
final piece is a section of long bone with a small drilled
hole and the ring-and-dot mark of a drill bit on one
face.
The purpose of the wedge-shaped fragments is
uncertain. That this is a shape deliberately sought
after is demonstrated by the fact that all four faces
have been sawn except where use could be made of
the reasonably flat outer surface of the bone. If these
pieces were offcuts or roughs for other objects it is