chain
- Museum number
- 1994,0408.6
- Description
-
Gold chain necklace. The chain is of the simplest, single loop-in-loop construction. It is broken near one terminal (the eye of the clasp). The terminals are elongated pyramids, and have curved gold bars soldered to their bases for attachment to the chain. One has a ring at the clasp end, the other a long, now distorted, hook. To each face of the pyramids is soldered a raised, zig-zag strip of gold.
- Dimensions
-
Length: 17 millimetres (pyramid terminals)
-
Length: 420 millimetres
-
Weight: 17.40 grammes
- Curator's comments
- Gold jewellery from the Hoxne hoard
Roman Britain, buried in the 5th century AD
Found at Hoxne, Suffolk (1992)
The Hoxne (pronounced 'Hoxon') hoard is the richest find of treasure from Roman Britain. Alongside the approximately 15,000 coins were many other precious objects, buried for safety at a time when Britain was passing out of Roman control.
Among these were gold jewellery, including six necklaces and three finger-rings, two of which were found threaded onto one of the chains. While the body-chain, necklaces and bracelets would all have been worn by women, the rings could have been worn by either sex. The chains were probably designed to be worn with pendants, but no pendants were hidden with the hoard. All three rings are well worn, and their gems have been deliberately removed, no doubt for re-setting in newer pieces of jewellery.
- Location
- On display (G49/dc23)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1994-1995 Oct-Jan, Ipswich Museum, The Hoxne Treasure
- Acquisition date
- 1994
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1994,0408.6
- Additional IDs
-
Treasure/PAS number: T304 (Treasure number)
