padlock
- Museum number
- 1882,0206.13
- Description
-
Iron padlock casing consisting of a rectangular central plate, its sides turned down, with a long central slot and two smaller, round holes. A strip is welded above the holes on the inner face. At each end is a tapering bar.
- Dimensions
-
Length: 392 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- Manning 1985
From the Lakenheath hoard.
The form of this piece is strongly suggestive of its being part of a strong lever-padlock, although the way in which it functioned is far from clear. The mechanism would have been set in a box behind the face, and the long slot is more likely to have received the end of a chain than the key. If so, the keyhole would have been on another face suggesting that the lock was not permanently fixed in position. The two smaller holes may have been for the ends of rivets holding the casing together or for parts of the mechanism. Although it would be possible to suggest ways in which it could have functioned they would be too speculative to be of value.
- Location
- On display (G49/dc16)
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1882,0206.13
