Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

The nail-cleaner and the third piece have a suspension loop
formed by turning the top of the shaft over. The pieces are
hung from a piece of wire with a simple twisted knot.
Probably late 3rd- to 4th-century.
SPATULAS (Fig 68; 1946-1950)
Spatulas often form one end of a double-ended
instrument, for example the spathomele, or spatulaprobe,
and the scalpel, the handle of which can carry
a leaf-shaped spatula. The spathomele was generally
used for pharmaceutical purposes, such as mixing
and applying ointments (Milne 1970, 58), while a
spatula in association with a scalpel implies surgical
use as a blunt dissector (ibid, 24, 84-5). None of our
catalogued examples is complete, but 1948 was
certainly not double-ended, and resembles blunt
dissectors (ibid, pl 20, 3,4), and 1950 appears to be a
single-ended instrument too small for any use other
than spreading or mixing. Most examples are cast,
but some are beaten out. All are of copper alloy.
1947 Fig 68 SF LWC 3517(C), K239. ?Garden soil. Period 4? or
post-Roman? Most of the shaft is missing. Bent (drawn
straight). Length 106.0mm. Cast. Waisted leaf-shaped
blade with double edge. The shaft has four ridges running
along its length. Similar to Wheeler 1930, pl 37, 1.
1948 Fig 68 SF BKC 2305(C), G246 F61. Clay- and timber-lined
pit. Period 5b. Bent. Length 128.5 mm. Cast. Leaf-shaped
blade with double edge. The shaft tapers slightly and is
octagonal in section. At the top of the shaft is a short
Fig 68 Spatulas (1:1)
63
projecting tang, the underside of which has a groove
between two transverse mouldings at the tip. The spatula
could have had a bone handle (though the tang is rather
short for this) or was more likely a folding instrument with a
metal handle (cf Milne 1970, pl 20, 3, 4).
1949 Fig 68 SF BKC 5135(C), V158 F62. Pit. Period 5 (or 6)?
Fragment. Most of the shaft and the tip of the blade are
missing. Length 67.5mm. A crude spatula, with a beaten
blade.
1950 Fig 68 SF CGC5, 37 F6a. Pit. Roman; no earlier than the late
2nd century. The tip of the shaft is missing. Bent. Length
100.5 mm. The lozenge-shaped blade is very small. The
instrument seems to have been cut from a sheet of copper
alloy and the shaft formed by folding the edges of the cut
piece upwards and inwards. This piece may more correctly
belong with the spoons.
OCULIST'S STAMPS (Fig69; 1951 -1953)
Mark Hassall has provided the following report:
Recent excavations in Colchester have produced one
certain example of an oculist's stamp and possibly
two others. 3
1951 Fig 69 SF BKC 3321, J194 F13. Large pit. Period 5b. Green
slate 4
oculist's stamp, 31.0 by 20.0mm square, 2.5mm
thick. 5
One of the longer sides has been inscribed (a) and on
the corresponding side a similar text (b) has been lightly
scratched as if to mark out the letters for a second stamp.
The presence of an M at both ends of (b) suggests that the
writer had originally forgotten to write retrograde, and the
die may not have been cut for this reason. Both texts are
retrograde with the exception in (a) of the letter L: (a)