Interesting metal detecting finds

[George111]

Roman forge made iron fishing hook with barb's, its 2 1/2"

from the bend of the hook to the tip of the point which has broken off

Big pike in the Avon

[George111]

Edit                     should read from bend to top of loop

[jelida]

Another interesting find, I wonder what it was used for.  You quite commonly find similar hooks, without the terminal flanges or barb, used with chain on harness or farm implements, on any farm land. Roman fish hooks generally seem to be much smaller, more akin to our size 4, 6 or 8. The thing about smith made tools is that they are often non-standard, for a specific purpose; perhaps this was used for meat in a trap, or to hook a bale or net, or something similar. 

Coming back to the dentures, I think the id may be right, though they would have been so impractical that they could only have been worn briefly, presumably, at meal-time. But don't be afraid to question even Finds Liaison Officer id's, none of the lead 'denture' objects seem to reference a contextually indisputable archaeological find . Over time I have seen many supposed id's change in the light of further evidence. And FLO's themselves vary in experience. In the late '90's, when the scheme first started, I was asked to be on the interview panel for the Wales FLO at the NMW, along with Roger Bland from the BM and local museum staff. We interviewed six shortlisted candidates, all good on paper. I had prepared a tray of typical identifiable finds from Roman to Modern, some of which were distorted, rare or 'partefacts'. Only two of the candidates demonstrated any real  practical ability in identifying, or even describing what they saw,  and yet most were prepared to hazard a guess. That is often what you get with more obscure objects and less experienced FLO's. Not ours, of course. Usually.

Jerry

[George111]

Not conclusive proof but found these go down to picture 21

 

 http://www.ronnlucassr.com/hook-handmade2.htm

[jelida]

Those are of fine, delicate construction, with tiny loops/flanges to tie on a fine line, and are unarguably suitable for fishing,  and also from the Eastern Mediterranean, quite unlike any Roman fish-hooks found in the UK. Despite the similar terminal wings, they rather emphasize the differences from yours, which looks more suited to a coarse string or chain.

While not impossible, there are many more likely uses for this hook. Without an archaeological context for this find, sadly it cannot be securely identified or dated. 

However you seem to have started a thread with legs. Maybe I'll post a few of my finds too.....in the New Year.

Have a good one!

 

Jerry

 

[George111]

I've been into fishing 40 yrs of my life the style and barbs is much the same now as it was when this was made

You don't use a No 16 mustad barbless fine wire to catch a shark  

( although I have used a No 8 offset nailer and 15lb line to catch a 95lb catfish in France LOL)

I don't know if there were pike in the river Avon at the time but its only a short walk to it from the location I found this hook

Pike can grow very large and have very sharp teeth so a strong hook and eye is needed

And Yes please put up some pictures of some of your finds

[George111]

Found this Yestuday from another permission I've got I think it maybe a "block anvil" maybe used to make fine jewellry ect

Its made of solid brass and the green patina goes right into all the divits and chips knocked off it

the cast hole possibly used to "dish" the object being made its about 2" square and 1" deep

Wont say how old because I always seem to be wrong LOL but the patina may make it quite old

[George111]

[George111]

[jelida]

I have no idea on that one, never seen anything comparable, though it is unlike the Bronze age anvils on the BM site. It's certainly taken a battering.

Here are a couple of my finds in the last few weeks, hardly been out in this awful weather.

Firstly a C14-15 harness pendant, much red enamel remaining. The Lion rampant was a fairly common motif used by several prominent families, I haven't yet pinned it down, but likely to have had SE Wales connections.

 

Jerry

[jelida]

Secondly, an Early Bronze Age miniature flat axe head , approx 2000 BC. These were previously described as 'votive' but now thought simply to be small axes for finer work. It is currently in the National Museum of Wales for recording and metal analysis (the earliest of these were pure copper). 

Jerry

[George111]

Nice finds I don't know if this will help

 

http://www.mabinogion.info/rhonabwy.htm

[Flash]

Take what the PAS say with a massive pinch of salt. I was a detectorist for some years and found some excellent things but the local PAS bloke made very, many mis-ids including having no knowledge of Potins etc. Your piece of lead looks to me to be an electric wire guide or separator home made by perhaps a farmer in the 1930's. Probably as a bodge on a tractor.

Change your settings, lead is on the whole a waste of digging time as is iron and you don't really want to be beeping on either.

[Flash]

sorry I can't cope with this new forum I have no idea what happened to the stuff I was replying to but it doesn't seem to be around now, please ignore.

[Flash]

Hold on found it again, it was the teeth doings. Don't want to be to negative but I was never a great believer in the miniature votive explanations either. Small palm guards or item being worked on fixer in place, late Georgian IMO. 

[jelida]

• 2 hours ago, Flash said:

  Change your settings, lead is on the whole a waste of digging time as is iron and you don't really want to be beeping on either.

  Totally disagree. If you disc out lead, not only will you miss seal matrices, lead tokens, Roman votives, cloth seals, pilgrim badges and ampullae and many other historic items, you will also lose depth on tiny hammered and celtic with most machines. And I always keep scrap lead, more than pays for the batteries. On ancient sites, dig everything but iron! Even scrap lead and shot are a good indicator of land usage.

• Jerry

[George111]

Doubt that theory seeing as the same design has been found in a few other parts of the country in defferant yrs and I like finding lead objects that are not just scrap metal 

[George111]

6 minutes ago, jelida said:

• Totally disagree. If you disc out lead, not only will you miss seal matrices, lead tokens, Roman votives, cloth seals, pilgrim badges and ampullae and many other historic items, you will also lose depth on tiny hammered and celtic with most machines. And I always keep scrap lead, more than pays for the batteries. On ancient sites, dig everything but iron! Even scrap lead and shot are a good indicator of land usage.

• Jerry

Yeah what he said

[George111]

"Scrap lead"  top bit has been shaped into a builders plumb bob weight and the other looks like it was used as a palm push for sewing things

 White lead solphate deposits could indicate some age but that would be a guess

Edited January 3, 2016 by George111

[George111]

Gold gilt button made in Birmingham letters could possibly be the owners names 

[George111]

8 hours ago, George111 said:

Gold gilt button made in Birmingham letters could possibly be the owners names 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Port_Railway_and_Pier

Well that's that then and there was me thinking its some landed gentries posh coat button LOL

[jelida]

Good id George, probably quite a rare button ; there will be local collectors out there.

Jerry

[George111]

17th century American shoe buckle

[George111]

Snake with tits was told its a handle off of some type of cooking pot  

[Nordle11]

Quote

Snake with tits was told its a handle off of some type of cooking pot  

That did make me chuckle