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S21 | Broughton: Guess the Find!

We've just received this amazing 3D model of a find, discovered during our dig at the Broughton Roman villa, Oxfordshire (courtesy of 3D maestro, Matt Clark).

But we need YOUR help in identifying it!

What era is it from? What is it made of? And what does it actually do? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

On first impression it may resemble a Bronze Age spacehopper, but it's actually much smaller and will easily fit in the palm of your hand.

Our resident small finds expert, Dani Wootton has already taken a closer look and will be giving us the lowdown very soon, right here on Patreon.



S21 | Broughton: Guess the Find!

Comments

There's a way to pour something in or out. Did the Romans use standardised liquid measures as well as weight measures? A second possibility might be to hold some sort of incense for burning. A third would be to mix two liquids. There are two holes and a lip, but it's not clear what the internal structure is. The lip may be purely decorative, of course. This would seem the most likely explanation if there's an internal wall completely closing it off from the internal chamber the two holes lead to. If it's decorative, the two holes are all that matter, the bull horns could be to attach the object to something or decoration but they wouldn't change the nature of the thing. Two holes would mean you could pour something in with no air bubbles forming, which means it's guaranteed to hold a known amount. If it isn't completely closed off, I would expect it to be functional and that in turn pretty much limits you. An air intake with the two holes for smoke to leave would be viable. If there was a liquid running through the ball, then it would also be a way in which you could get air bubbles out of that liquid or to regulate the flow of that liquid (by acting as an overflow). You also want to know if either of the two holes showed the kind of stresses you'd expect from a stopper being repeatedly put in and taken out, this can't be seen from the image, you'd need to look at it through a microscope. You'd then want to build a replica to rule out the different possibilities.

Jonathan Day

I believe it's a bell

Mea Cadwell

Maybe some sort of a weight !

Robert O'Bryan

Rob O'Bryan

Robert O'Bryan

It looks a lot like a bell.

Joy Garner

Yes, bell of some sort most likely.

Marcus Hill

Harness bell.

Linda H

I think it’s a bell made of bronze perhaps for a baby rattle

Liz McRae

It looks like a jingle bell, perhaps for an animal?

Lesley Swann

Bell?

Melissa Rybb

Horse harness Bell; Elizabethan?

Clare goreau

I think it looks as if it was possibly a spherical bell. The top bits look as if they are broken, but would have been joined so it can be fastened to something.

Orla Levy

Interesting. Maybe use TT audience more for research (parallels in local or online collections or other)

HJB Hiep

It kinda looks like the old net float tho i dout its that. https://www.sarpur.is/Adfang.aspx?AdfangID=2139239

Maggi Einars

A crotal bell!

Elizabeth Elwell-Cook

I think it looks like a bell that would hang around the goats neck.

Cheryl Kurucz

Not knowing what its dimensions are, nor its weight…my first thought was a bell. But then I thought it looked like something helical. Like a conch shell. This makes me think it’s meant to produce some sound by perhaps blowing into it. Maybe it’s worn around the neck. My best guess.

Pat Sinatra

A falconry bell?

Seda Mcclurg

Tudor area crotal bell

John westwood

A Crotal bell, (like those worn by goats or sheep) although I couldn’t say from which era as the design never really change over the centuries.

Adell

One half of a bollocks?🤔

Eggs Ackley

Looks like a bronze bell to me an early medieval crotal bell.

Carol Franklin

A bell- Roman. Or a weight-Roman.

Jennifer Harmon

A Bell

Rob Federle

It definitely looks like a bell to me.

Amy Lauters

A bell. As in jingle bell. Commonly used on a horse’s bridal. But could also be sewed on to the hem of a skirt or other clothing. May have been part of a dancers costume or a jesture’s hat.

Ralph Salier Hellendag

Pretty sure it was once attached to Noddy's hat.

Mike Tedham

I was going to suggest a weight for loom fabric but I see that a crotal bell is the thing

Elizabeth West

The Queen held something that looked just like that in her hand for her coronation. Don't know the official name for one though - an orb?

Sara Rowland

Crotal bell . Better? Is why are u asking us .

heith Doty

It looks like a bell.

Patricia Crumrine

Interesting, but common, Crotal Bell from the early Medieval period. Of course this is an unprofessional guess, so it probably is a bronze age space hopper.

John Traphofner

A bell?

Murray M Wagnon

It is stated that it fits in the palm of the hand. does this mean that it is about 75mm (3inches) across. This would make it too large for a bell from a jess, it would be a large cow bell too. I have never seen a cow bell this shape, usually they are flatter. Therefore although a bell sounds fair, I wonder if it a shofar like musical instrument.

Peter Carter

I'm going with a bell, but that's all I have. 🤷🏼‍♀️

choklityum

Looks like a bell to me, with a broken top ring.

Mark Reader

Crotal bell, a common find by detectorists on farmland.

Stephen Walls

Easy. It’s a common crotal bell.

Lady of the Leaves

Maybe a hawk's bell for the jesses, allowing the falconer to locate the bird and prey once they've gone to ground.

Kay Theriault

The image needs scale! What size is it? A bell? And if made of brass could it be bronze age? Wild guess here … it’s that old because iron bells create far better sound, so if it had been made when iron was in use it would be iron? And if so, that would put it well before Roman occupation?

Robert Wise

A brass bell used for tracking an animal Roman

Dianne Brown

crotal bell or animal bell

Graham Stokes

I forgot, it is probably brass

Sandra Day

This is a bell used for animals the Romans would herd. It is from 40s C.E. Probably for a goat or sheep.

Sandra Day

My thoughts too but possibly an earlier smaller version than the average medieval ones that metal detectorists find a lot of.

Stephen Toland

First instinct is bell but could be button or jewellery with damaged ring

JFF

Jester's hat bell?

Donavon Slaven

Is it a bell that attached to a collar maybe for a goat? Sheep?

Todd Gillespie

That's a nineteenth century brass harness bell.

Juti A Winchester

Similar to this? https://www.ebay.com/itm/173032535260

Richard Linley

Like most here I am thinking pretty much in the same lines as others here, in that is some sort of bell, either for animal or reigns?? I have been a family genealogy researcher for the past 28 yrs so objects are not really my line, since I deal with the dead and what records I can find on them in my family lines..

Donna Oglesby

A reindeer bell from Saint nicks original sleigh :-) ( have to have a little fun )

John Breece

Brass or gold bell. Horse furniture. Or cat bell?

Shaun Smith

I'm sure it a bell, either for an animal or for the reins of a horse.

Maria

First post from a lifelong Time Team addict in my humble opinion it is without doubt a crotal bell.

Karl Brackenbury

a bell of some sort not having a size guide dificult to decide if sheep/goat bell or jess for a hawk

Bob Benton

Yep I'd agree with Theresa it being a crotal bell

Oliver Baron

Bell that would've hung round the neck of a bellwether.

Susie Stockton-Link

Looks like a crotal bell. Manufactured between the 13th and 15th Centuries? Maybe?

Theresa Cashin

Is that a Crotal Bell? It looks like it once had decoration. Awesome!

Kathy Shelton

A bell from an animal or from clothing - or a child's toy?

David Ford

Maybe a small Bell from a dancers skirt? Egtved-woman, buried in a hollowed oak coffin.

Pia Fredfeldt

Could be Roman after all. You can buy one on Ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173032535260

David Peachey

Maybe Tudor from a pet? Or maybe a joker‘s bell?

Gabriele Sarter

https://hansonslive.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk/m/lot-details/index/catalog/38/lot/15454?url=%2Fm%2Fview-auctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F38%3Fpage%3D4

David Peachey

Looks like a bell for a falcon's Jesse's!

Kay Theriault

Could be be a bell for falconry

Michael Stimson

It’s a small bell that would decorate clothing.

Don Brunell

I also think it's a bell. Made of brass or bronze.

Dori Ownbey

My vote is a bell.

Trevor Rix

That's supposed to be a bell oh, my phone doesn't understand me.

Priscilla Logan

I think it's a bill that goes on a horse's harness.

Priscilla Logan

Not sure about this Bell idea. The circular hole is an anomaly if it is. I'm thinking it may be a small container for measuring out something like a medicine or possibly a decoration from a 1st or 2nd century Infantry standard.

Steve Bray

Isn't it a bell like for a horse harness?

Caroline Borduin

Yeah I'm with the consensus, it's a bell. The oxidization makes me think it's probably copper? Not sure what era - Bronze Age?

Melissa Gordon

Ritual?

John Guppy

Bell, fishing weight, sling weight, pomander ???

Cynthia Clearwater

Plus vacca campana

Steven Bradbery

Bell. But whether it is Roman or Medieval I can't say. Possibly a tintinnabulum? What a lovely word.

Katie Hynes

It looks like a bell. Not sure what era.

Pamela Brotherton

i have the answer it a thingy. Yes a thingy

James Matney

IS the small hole supposed to be there or is it damage

jennifer driscoll

I think it's a bell of some sort. Probably metal. Anglo saxon or viking

Sue webster

I agree it looks like a bell, but more of a status object rather than a useful tool such as a cow bell...

Steve Mikre

I definitely think it is some sort of bell.

Matthew Hauck

Is the some type of hallmark toward the bottom of the bell?

Stephanie Stewart

The mystery object might be a horse bell, or crotal, dating to Medieval times…possibly the Bronze Age. Our guess is it is made of bronze. Cheers, Ross & Chris Kreamer

Ross G. Kreamer

A small bell

Julie Gray

Roman Sistrum bell? Not sure of size but being very small would argue for instrument or toy, larger for horse bell. Not sure if Roman's had fishing weights shaped like this. Some folk dress that echos Roman clothing have small weights at the tip of scarves or shawls.

Ann H

How big is this? It is hollow, and meant to be attacked to something.

Alan McMillan

it certainly looks like a bell of some kind. if not that, a fishing weight?

Donna Shelton

Yes a Bell, maybe for a horse?

Michael

is it a medieval bridle bell.. High status horseman.. perhaps?

Carrie Hartley

I have no clue!🤦‍♀️ Alice Murphy said a hand grenade, I will go with that one!💁‍♀️ 😁

Sonia Hamilton

What's the material? If metal, my guess is a bell. If stone, some kind of weight.

Beth

Either that, or a tiny hand grenade, perhaps! ;) (scale is everything—I thought it was cannonball sized at first) But yeah, I vote for a bell as well.

Alice Murphy

It does seem bell shaped, but I'm going to go wild and say it is a hypercorse flew cleaner.

bil Jeschke

I also guess a bell, possibility for animals, or falconers, but also mibee for small bairns so as parents know where they are? I know of places here in shetland where you tied the bairns to the house to stop them falling over the banks (cliffs)

Michael leask

Without size clues my instant thought is it’s a small bell. Otherwise, it could be some sort of potpourri container

Graham Dombkins

A bell, here in the USA, many were often put on horse harnesses at Chrismas Time during the horse wagon and cart era.

Owen Terry Shaw

A cowbell?

Paul Saint

The holes are interesting. The jagged rip is probably just damage, but the round holes look deliberate. Was it strung on something for later use?

Dorothy Africa

Wikipedia has an image of an almost identical bell found at a site in Tennessee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowbell#/media/File:Hawksbelleasttennmound.png

Shannon Stubsten

Bronze bell

Dodi Thomas Mawer

A small bell! It's a little squished but easily recognisable!

Hardtreads

Appears to be a bronze crotal bell. Likely was placed around a herd animals neck. It’s smallness indicates perhaps for sheep.

John McFeeters

A bell for an animal is what it looks like to me. Perhaps it's simple a decoration for something? Maybe it's ritual lol

Gary Norman

It would help if we knew what is was made from but I would go with a cow bell, middle ages.

David Peachey

A Crotal bell, also known as a rumble bell used on all sorts of things, mostly animals to warn of approach. I’m guessing 17th century and made of bronze.

David Cook

My reaction was a bell.

Anne Collinson

I agree with all the previous posts, a bronze bell for a horse harness perhaps? Now watch us all be wrong!!

William Butler

Looks like a squashed bell

Zoe Propper

a falconry bell

Denise DuBois

Bell was my instant reaction

Darylyn Phraner

It certainly looks like a bronze bell!

Ivor Balke

Small bell, bronze, from a horse harness. Mediaeval?

Victoria Stretch

Looks like a jingle bell

Leah Kotok

Indeed a small bell

Leen Hoop

Yup, that there is a what is technically called "a bell"

Paul moffitt

Looks like a bell, possibly from a horses harness.

Paul Tomblin

Looks like a small bell, similar to one used by falconers.

Daniel Wheeler

Looks like a bell to me

Duncan Bartlett


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