MEDIEVAL BUCKLE

1100

Fragment of a medieval copper alloy buckle plate, the incomplete front part broken before the fold and across a pin slot. Two of three arms with rivets through rounded terminals are extant. These terminals would have formed the inside edge. Two lines of rocker-arm engraving flank the pin slot. Extant length and width 21.5 and 24mm. One broadly similar buckle has been considered Roman (Mills 2000, 69, RB192), but a fragment was excavated from a medieval context in King's Lynn (Clarke and Carter 1977, fig. 130 no.6). Other Norfolk examples include NMS-8003A2 (Oxborough, HER 56912) and NMS-61E218 (Litcham, HER 15535). See also a buckle from Wiltshire (WILT-89D544). On some examples there are three arms, and on others four. Some exhibit Romanesque decorative details. 12th - mid 13th century.