IRON AGE HARNESS FITTING

-100

A cast copper alloy ‘miniature’ knobbed terret ring of probable later Iron Age or early Roman date (100 BC - 200 AD). The ring is broadly D shaped in plan, with a D shaped cross section. At the base of the ring is a horizontal bar with an oval cross section. This bar has an old fracture through it and is distorted in profile. The bar itself is slight and much thinner than the ring, it is also slightly offset. The ring itself is thick with distinct angular faces; it is regular in shape forming a regular U shaped arch. The upper part of this arch is decorated with a series of five evenly spaced knops, one at the apex, one each at the base near the junction with the bar, and two others spaced evenly between. The knops are oval in plan and triangular in profile, the base of each knop is decorated with a circumvention (basal) groove. Where the bar joins the sides of the ring there is evidence of thickening which may represent the grooved collars known on other similar examples. There is no other evidence of incised, cast or applied decoration. The terret ring is a mid green colour with an abraded but polished patina. Similar shaped terret rings are known from both Iron Age and Roman contexts. A large number of similar sized terret rings can be seen in McGregor: Early Celtic Art in Northern Britain, they all come from either late Iron Age or early Roman contexts. The terret ring measures 26.3mm length, 23.5mm width is 6.6mm thick and weighs 11.08 grams, the internal diameter of the ring measures 12.2mm x 12.3mm.