ROMAN HARNESS FITTING

50

An unusual copper alloy strap-mounted terret The terret is irregular in plan and cross section; it comprises of several different elements. The attachment bar is sub-rectangular in both plan (loop being staple shaped) and cross section. The attachment bar measures 24.1mm width, 3.8mm thickness, projects 12.0mm from skirt (internal measurement of loop 14.5mm x 7.3mm). The attachment bar joins to an inverted flared skirt. This skirt is curved in profile with the edges overhanging the attachment loop slightly. From the centre of the skirt a moulded bar-like pedestal extends. The pedestal tapers and flares being topped with a sub-rectangular cap. Attached to the cap is a pelta shaped projection. The pelta is formed from two scrolls which conjoin. The pelt is pierced by two crescent shaped holes which differ slightly from one another.There is no applied or incised decoration present. One side of the terret ring is better preserved than the other. This is likely to be due to burial conditions. The terret is a mid brownish green colour with an abraded polished patina on several surfaces. The corrosion and abrasion is most distinctive on the upper part of the fitting specifically on one face. The terret ring measures 69.7mm length; 53.8mm width maximum thickness of 20.9mm across the skirt, 13.3mm across top of turned pedestal and 4.6mm across upper pelta plate. It weighs 71.9 grams.A direct parallel for the terret ring has not been found. The use of a the pelta design and the moulded decoration, as well as the style of the skirt all suggest a Romano-British date rather than a native Iron Age one, presumably in the period 50 - 150 AD. The presence of the two holes in the top pelta plate may suggest the use of this harness to guide the traces / harness straps from the cart / chariot to the animals drawing it. Two comparable contemporary examples of pelta designs on harness fittings can be seen on database records NMS-8ACEA4 (Suffolk) and NMS-DB8F65 (Norfolk).