Bones and Phones

Not many of us digging yesterday Catherine, Julie, Mary L and me. Chatting and digging is good for the soul and it's amazing what you can find out.

I was telling Julie and Mary that David and I are going on a two day Zooarchaeology course (more to follow) and would be taking some of our huge bone collection including some of our bone tools and objects.

I showed Julie a photo of one of our star finds - a piece of decorated bone. Pam found it back in 2022 and it's still is one of my favourite finds. I can  remember Pam saying "Look what I've got" A section of rib bone that had a classic ring and dot pattern and the evidence of rivet holes. I was delighted to find a similar artefact on the British Museum web site with a date of 925-930 (circa)(circa). The date suits our site well.

Julie then said I've seen similar and showed me a brilliant photo from Lugershall Castle, Wiltshire. Within minutes Julie had sent a photo of our bone to her contact at English Heritage who quickly came back with the following:-

Hi Julie,

How interesting! Thanks for sending over the photos with the attached details and content of the find at Siston. 

I've checked our database for you and the information we hold is that it is dated to 12th Century (according to our records)

I've also copied the information we have from our database- please see below:

Ornamental strips from a wooden casket, all of them made from animal rib bones. Several decorative schemes are represented including triple ring and dot motifs, multiple cross-hatching, and multiple perforations, the latter backed by thin sheet lead; the strips have been mounted with iron rivets and iron hinges from the lid also survive. Description from the report on Objects of Bone, Antler and Ivory by Arthur MacGregor, from the Ludgershall Castle monograph.

From Ludgershall Castle, a Medieval Royal Castle and hunting lodge in East Wiltshire, excavated by Peter Addyman and Southampton University, 1964-1972

Did we have an ornamental casket in the Glebe Field? We've found a key quite close to the decorated bone. Who knows - we will just keep digging! Zillah