IRON AGE LINCH PIN

-100

A cast copper alloy and iron linch pin dating from the late Iron Age. The object consists of a cast copper alloy 'wheel' and an iron bar. The 'wheel' terminal contains four spokes and a central circular 'hub' which is solid. The 'hub' is decorated on one face with a circular pit. Eight more punched pits decorate the rim of the 'wheel'. They are placed irregularly with one at the end of two spokes and the other five in a line on one side. The rear face of the 'wheel' is undecorated and has been damaged. The side of the wheel has a circumfrential groove on each edge. The 'wheel' measures 39.35mm in diameter and is 10.11mm thick. It has a dark green patina and there is some iron corrosion between the spokes and on the rear of the 'wheel'.The iron bar is sub-circular in cross-section and is covered in corrosion. It measures 14.16mm in diameter.A direct parallel for this object is currently unknown however the construction and form is similar to other linch pins such as http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/286307.The wheel motif can be compared to miniature wheels found in hoards and religious deposits - e.g. Hounslow Hoard and Batheaston Hoard, Wanborough temple wands. There is a chunky loop headed linch pin from Middleton / Enthorpe, East Yorkshire in M. Macgregor, Early Celtic Art in North Britain 1976, Cat 135. This has a terminal like the vase headed linch pins, but plain - dating uncertain. There are also ring-headed linch pins of more decorated first AD form in the Stanwick hoard, Macgregor PPS 28, 1962, nos 70 & 79.