ROMAN RAZOR

1

Copper alloy object of unknown type. The object appears to be the handle of a bladed object with a small section of the blade surviving. At one end there is a blade, now broken off, which tapers towards the handle. The blade is triangular in section, both edges are now damaged and the upper surface has many transverse scratches (L. 16.89mm. W. 12.55-7.89mm. Th. 2.08-1.09mm). The handle is broadly oval in section and has moulded decoration in the form of six raised lateral bands (approx. Th. 2.19mm) arranged in pairs joined by wide concave sections (approx. Th. 4.70mm). The band furthest away from the blade is thicker (Th. 3.32mm) and attached to it is a crescent shaped terminal (L. 15.71mm. W. 9.03mm. Th. 6.88-3.32mm). Patchy mid-green and dark green patina. It is possible that the object is a razor of Roman date, however Romano-British miniature votive swords or daggers are also known with crescentic terminals.