Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

Fig 48 Iron armlets (1:1)
Fig 49 Shale and jet finger-rings (1:1)
1744 Fig 50 SF BKC 1310(C), E412 L440. Town ditch (F138) fill.
Late Period 6 or Anglo-Saxon. Cast. Internal diameter
16.5 mm; rectangular to D-shaped section, height 2.0mm,
thickness 1.0mm.
1749 Fig 50 SF BUC 130, A563 G41. Item of dress; on left hand
index finger of one of three skeletons in a roughly-dug pit.
Period 2. Cast. Internal diameter 16.5 mm; D-shaped
section, height 4.0mm, thickness 3.0mm.
1755 Fig 50 SF IRB 96(C), F90. Context uncertain. Either an item
of dress on a finger of the skeleton in a 3rd- to 4th-century
grave, or in the backfill of the grave. Cast. Internal diameter
16.0mm; D-shaped section, height 3.0mm, thickness
2.5mm.
Plain, with decorative clasp (Fig 50; 1756-1757)
1756 Fig 50 SF BKC 1644(C), E934 L271. Charcoal. Period lb.
Internal diameter oval, 17.0 by 18.5 mm; circular section,
thickness tapers from 2.0 to 1.5 mm. Each end of the ring is
twisted into a spiral which forms a clasp. The design clearly
has native British links.
1757 Fig 50 SF MID 297(C), C1109 L114. Topsoil accumulation.
Early medieval, pre Site C Phase 1 (or Phase 1?). Distorted.
Internal diameter 18.0mm; circular section, thickness
tapers from 1.5 to 1.0mm. Each end is twisted into three
running loops. A similar ring was found in Hollytrees
Meadow (Hull 1958, fig 47, 4).
Coiled (Fig 50; 1758-1761). Rings of many coils
were present in comparatively high numbers at
Sheepen, Colchester (Hawkes and Hull 1947, 330)
which probably indicates an early date range for the
type.
1758 Fig 50 SF LWC 655(C), B unstratified. Minimum internal
diameter 17.0 mm; D-shaped to oval section, height 3.5 mm,
thickness 3.0 mm. A crude coil. One end has been cut off, the
other is moulded into three beads of varying sizes. Possibly
47
cut down from an armlet? Similar to Waugh and Goodburn
1972, fig 32, 28.
1759 Fig 50 SF LWC 3178(C), J941. Make-up. Period 3. Internal
diameter 18.0mm; circular section, thickness 1.5mm.
Three coils. One terminal is pointed, the other ends in a
rearward-facing hook.
Cable decoration (Fig 50; 1762)
1762 'Fig 50 SF BUC 503, C922 G327. Item of dress; on finger of
skeleton. Period 1. Cast. Internal diameter oval, 17.0 by
19.0mm; circular section, thickness 4.5 mm. A very
corroded ring. The powdery surface shows traces of cable
decoration. This may be incised or may be all that remains of
a thin wire (possibly of a more precious metal) wrapped
round the ring.
Segmented
1763 Not illustrated; in microfiche catalogue.
Notched, and crenellated (Fig 50; 1764-1768)
a) opposing notches
1764 Fig 50 SF LWC 739(C), A248 F87. ?Post-medieval. Cast.
Internal diameter 18.5 mm; rectangular section, height
2.0mm, thickness 1.0mm. A longitudinal groove is flanked
by small V-shaped opposing notches.
1765 Fig 50 SF BUC 788(C), C1674 G439. Probably a grave
deposit. Period 2. Internal diameter 19.5mm; rectangular
section, height varies from 2.0 to 5.0mm, thickness 1.5mm.
The hoop has been joined by beating each terminal flat and
soldering one on top of the other. The effect is of a plain
bezel. There is no sign of anything being fixed to this bezel.
To either side of the join the hoop bears a row of opposed
notches for approximately 9.0mm.
b) alternating notches
1766 Fig 50 SF BUC 389(C), B1050 G171. Grave deposit. Period 2.
Internal diameter 13.5 mm; rectangular section, height
2.0 mm, thickness 1.0mm. The ring is fixed by a soldered lap
joint. The decoration consists of long V-shaped alternating
notches, creating a continuous angular wave design (cf the
armlet Fig 38, 1561).
c) crenellated
1768 Fig 50 SF BUC 389(C), B1050 G171. Grave deposit. Period 2.
Internal diameter 14.5mm; rectangular section, height
1.5 mm, thickness varies from 1.5 to 0.5mm. The ring has
worn away on one side, indicating possible friction against
another ring on the adjacent finger. The decoration consists
of three crenellations. There are very faint traces of grooves
either side of the crenellations (cf Fig 52, 1789).