MEDIEVAL BUCKLE

1350

Medieval or Post Medieval cast copper alloy terminal from the locking arm of a locking arm buckle. The piece has a spherical knop terminal and part of the curved arm with an old break at the other end. The arm is D-shaped in section with a flat back and convex outer side. The arm curves throughout its length but the curve becomes steeper towards the broken end and the arm also widens and thickens slightly towards this end. It is decorated with worn groups of incised transverse lines, a pair near the break then a group of five further down and a final pair just at the junction with the terminal. It is 32.0mm long, 26.9mm wide and 8.3mm thick including the terminal and weighs 6.92 grams.Egan (2005, 37-38; refs. 116, 117), illustrates a similar buckle and includes a reconstruction drawing, those examples are from 16th century contexts although ealier types are known from c.1350-1450 AD (Whitehead 2003:89, no.552).