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S21 | Broughton: Guess the Find! (Patreon)

Published:
2022-01-19 13:53:58
Edited:
2022-06-07 10:56:48
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

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.

Files

Broughton mystery find

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Comments

Daniel Wheeler

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

Paul Tomblin

Looks like a bell, possibly from a horses harness.

Sharp Ends

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

Leen Hoop

Indeed a small bell

Leah Kotok

Looks like a jingle bell

Victoria Stretch

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

Ivor Balke

It certainly looks like a bronze bell!

Zoe Propper

Looks like a squashed bell

William Butler

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

David Cook

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 Peachey

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

Gary Norman

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

John McFeeters

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

Hardtreads

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

Dorothy Africa

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?

Owen Terry Shaw

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

Graham Dombkins

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

Michael leask

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)

bil Jeschke

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

Alice Murphy

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.

Beth

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

Sonia Hamilton

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

Carrie Hartley

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

Michael

Yes a Bell, maybe for a horse?

Donna Shelton

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

Alan McMillan

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

Ann H

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.

Ross G. Kreamer

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

Stephanie Stewart

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

Matthew Hauck

I definitely think it is some sort of bell.

Steve Mikre

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

Sue webster

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

jennifer driscoll

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

James Matney

i have the answer it a thingy. Yes a thingy

Katie Hynes

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

Melissa Gordon

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?

Steve Bray

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.

Priscilla Logan

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

Priscilla Logan

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

Dori Ownbey

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

Don Brunell

It’s a small bell that would decorate clothing.

Kay Theriault

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

Gabriele Sarter

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

Pia Fredfeldt

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

David Ford

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

Kat Shelton

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

Chef Tess

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

Oliver Baron

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

Bob Benton

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

Karl Brackenbury

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

Maria

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

Shaun Smith

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

John Breece

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

Donna Oglesby

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..

Todd Gillespie

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

JFF

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

Stephen Toland

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

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

I forgot, it is probably brass

Dianne Brown

A brass bell used for tracking an animal Roman

Robert Wise

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?

Kay Theriault

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

Stephen Walls

Crotal bell, a common find by detectorists on farmland.

Mark Reader

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

choklityum

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

Peter Carter

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.

John Traphofner

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.

heith Doty

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

Sara Rowland

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?

Elizabeth West

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

Mike Tedham

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

Ralph Salier Hellendag

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.

Amy Lauters

It definitely looks like a bell to me.

Bruno

A Bell

Carol Franklin

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

Eggs Ackley

One half of a bollocks?🤔

Adell

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.

Pat Sinatra

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.

Cheryl Kurucz

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

HJB Hiep

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

Orla Levy

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.

Clare goreau

Horse harness Bell; Elizabethan?

Lesley Swann

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

Liz McRae

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

Linda H

Harness bell.

Marcus Hill

Yes, bell of some sort most likely.

Joy Garner

It looks a lot like a bell.

Jonathan Day

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.