Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

uncertain. Length 57.0mm, width 49.0mm.
4652 Fig 204 SF COC 180, 835 L214. Make-up in street. Period 4.
A fragment of tubing with a thickened moulded rim. Perhaps
a spout? Length 17.5mm, diameter 15.5mm.
4654 Fig 204 SF BUC 557, C1029 G344. Grave fill. Period 2.
Pierced mount, with one recessed face, one convex face,
and a deeply grooved wall. Diameter 16.5 mm.
4655 Fig 204 SF BUC 1357(C), E657 L45. Destruction debris.
Probably first half of the 5th century. U-shaped strip with the
ends riveted together. Length 10.5mm, width 8.0mm.
4656 Fig 204 SF BUC 1553, H371 L2. Period 2. Moulded terminal,
perhaps from a handle. Length 27.0 mm.
4657 Fig 204 SF MRC 100(C), 112 F52. Pit. c early 2nd century.
Fragment of a moulded strip with traces of knurling on the
marginal mouldings and transverse bands of knurling
flanking a row of six impressed circles at the siightly broader
end. Perhaps a fragment of an armlet? Length 71.5 mm,
width 13.5 mm.
4658 Fig 204 SF MRC 106, 113 F68. Fill of a c 4th-century
inhumation. Fragment of a strip with wreath decoration in
repousse work. Perhaps a piece of a military helmet
browband. Length 34.5 mm, width 14.5 mm.
UNIDENTIFIED GOLD OBJECT (Fig 205;
4659)
4659 Fig 205 SF LWC 3359, J926. Make-up (Period 2 demolition).
Period 3. A gold disc decorated with repousse figures. The
field is divided by beading into a crescent and a semicircle. In
the semicircle is a winged phallus, and in the crescent are
two opposed winged griffins (or possibly horses) separated
by a cantharus. A projection, perhaps for suspension, has
been broken off the top of the disc. Diameter 19.5mm.
The crescent, with its two large beads at the points, is
reminiscent of 1st-century British collars (Fox 1958,106-7).
A plate brooch in the Santon Downham hoard bears a
winged griffin (ibid, pl 37b) and the Marlborough vat depicts
pairs of opposed horses. These horses are separated in one
case by Celtic scrolls (ibid, pl 35b) and in another by the
extended muzzles of the animals shaped into pendant coils
(ibid, pl 34e). Perhaps in the Lion Walk disc a mixture of both
British and Roman traditions in design can be seen? The
?collar being a British element and the winged phallus
Roman, the winged animals being British if they are horses,
or classical if griffins, while the Roman cantharus is perhaps
derived from a development of the Celtic scrolls seen on the
Marlborough vat.
0 1cm
I I
Fig 205 Gold object (1:1)
UNIDENTIFIED WHITE-METAL OBJECT
4660 Not illustrated; in microfiche catalogue.
MISCELLANEOUS UNIDENTIFIED IRON
OBJECTS (Fig 206; 4661-4694)
4662 Fig 206 SF LWC 4332, B117. Cellar (F70) backfill,
contaminated. Period 5+. A spike of square section. Length
250.0mm.
4664 Fig 206 SF LWC 4330, B321 F70. Cellar backfill. Period 5.
An irregular lozenge-shaped flat plate with a rectangular
section projection rising from one corner. Perhaps a pivot for
the base of a door? Length 184.0mm. Height of projection
86.0 m.
168
4666 Fig 206 SF LWC 4318, J548. Gravel spread in footway.
Period 4. An object tapering on opposing sides from the
centre towards either end. Possibly a small chisel or punch.
Length 187.0mm.
4667 Fig 206 SF LWC 2934(C), J717. Occupation. Period 4a and b.
A ?tanged blade-shaped object, but the main part is of
rectangular section except at the end nearest the ?tang
where it is of triangular section. Dr W H Manning has
identified this as a rake prong (Curie 1911, pl 61,7 and pl 67,
12). Length 158.0mm.
4668 Fig 206 SF LWC 3425(C), J1207. Site clearance dump,
mainly redeposited natural sand. Period 1. Aflat plate with a
spike rising from one end. The other end of the plate is
broken. Probably a fastener of some kind, perhaps part of a
dog. Length 41,0mm. Height of spike 37.0mm.
4677 Fig 206 SF BKC 6024, H239 F68. Hearth over pit. Period 5c.
An L-shaped object, perhaps originally T-shaped, in which
case this is a fragment of a T-staple. Length 190.0mm.
4679 Fig 206 SF BKC 6015, J439 F242. Pit. Periods 3/4/5a? A
hook? Length 87.0mm.
4681 Fig 206 SF BKC 5154 (X-rayed), T430. Period 1 or 2. The Xray
shows a ?tang with a heart-shaped terminal. Length
118.0mm.
4694 Fig 206 SF BUC 1470, E829 F100. Trench. Last two-thirds of
the 4th century. An L-shaped object with thick pointed end
to the longer arm and rounded ?pierced terminal on the
shorter arm. Dr W H Manning has identified this as a much
corroded bolt from a barb-spring padlock, though the pieces
projecting from the thick end appear to have become
detached from it, rather than to be corroded on to it. Length
134.5mm.
MISCELLANEOUS UNIDENTIFIED LEAD
OBJECTS (Figs 207 and 208; 4695-4743)
4696 Fig 207 SF LWC 1131, B545 F195. Pit. Period 4. A rough
disc, with the edge turned over to form a smooth line.
Perhaps the lid from a small lead burial canister. Diameter
685 mm.
4703 Fig 207 SF LWC 3585(C), J1558. Occupation? Period 3. A
?ring-handle with mouldings at the top of the ring. Length
52.0mm.
4709 Fig 207 SF BKC 2810, H294 F113. Pit. Period 5c. An object
made of sheet lead folded into a tube with one end cut into
strips. The object is decorated with raised dots and lines. A
similar piece with exactly the same decoration comes from
Kelvedon, and a third with different decoration from
Wickford. These objects may have a religious significance
(Eddy 1983, 14). Length 80.0mm.
4717 Fig 208 SF BKC 3575(C), J262 F58. Pit. Periods 3/4/5a. A
plate with flanged sides and a central perforation. Both ends
are damaged. Set around the edges are iron nails or rivets.
Length 106.0mm, width 74.5mm. Possibly associated with
piped water supply, such as at the exit of a junction box.
MISCELLANEOUS UNIDENTIFIED
BONE OBJECTS (Figs 209 and 210;
4744.4756)
4744 Fig 209 SF LWC 1038, C270. Make-up. Period 4. A bone
?terminal probably split lengthwise. Length 32.0mm,
diameter 13.5 mm.
4745 Fig 209 SF LWC 3526, J1343 F465. Pit. Period 4? Possibly
part of a pin? Length 53.5 mm, diameter 4.5mm.
4746 Fig 209 SF BKC 5849, D363 L27. Dump and occupation
debris at the bottom of the town ditch. Period 6. A piece of
bone used as a tally? Length 128.0mm.
4747 Fig 209 SF BKC 2460(C), G376 F108. Pit. Period 5c. Hollow
bone object, similar to 4748 but plainer, with a rectangular
cut out on one side. One end is damaged. Length 47.5 mm,
diameter 27.5 mm. A similar object was found at Zugmantel
(ORL 8, Taf 20, 88). Perhaps a toggle.
4748 Fig 209 SF BKC 5792(C), V1292. Unstratified. A similar
object, grooved at each end, and with a pair of incised