ring
- Museum number
- ML.2863
- Description
-
Flat iron scabbard suspension ring.
- Dimensions
-
Width: 12 - 14 millimetres
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Thickness: 4 - 5 millimetres
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Diameter: 40 - 42 millimetres
- Curator's comments
-
Stead and Rigby 1999
Registered as 'belonging' to the iron scabbard ML.2861, and Smith's sketch shows them mounted at intervals down its length. But there is also a bronze suspension chain attached to this scabbard, see ML.2861-ML.2862.
Context: Scabbard Suspension; Belt fittings.
Hallstatt D dagger-sheaths and most La Tène I sword-scabbards were suspended from belts and straps, sometimes represented in the graves by metal hooks and rings. Elaborate openwork plates incorporating a hook are well known in Champagne and beyond (Leconte, S., 1993, Les agrafes de ceinture ajourées de La Tène ancienne en Gaule, ‘Antiquités Nationales’ (25), 51-79; Frey, O.-H., 1974, Durchbrochene Frühlatènegürtelhaken aus Slowenien, ‘Situla’ (14/15), 129-142; Frey, O.-H., 1991, Einige Bemerkungen zu den durchbrochenen Frühlatènegürtelhaken, ‘Trierer Zeitschr.’ (13), 101-111). They occur in bronze and iron, and were riveted to the end of a strap, some incorporating a metal binding for the end of the strap. Those from recently excavated graves in Champagne are associated with swords or daggers: Les Rouliers grave 67, Mont Troté graves 23 and 136, Pernant grave 64, Vrigny grave 4; and there are similar grave groups from older excavations: S. Leconte 1993, nos 4, 12, 15, 23, 26, 39 and 40. They are often found with up to five metal rings that are likely to have been involved in the suspension of the scabbard (S. Leconte 1993, figs 11 and 12), and some scabbards are associated with similar rings but no belt hooks (e.g. Rapin, A., 1987, le système de suspension des fourreaux d’epées laténiens au IIe siècle avant J.-C., innovations, techniques et reconstitution du ceinturon in D. Vitali, ed., ‘Celti ed Etruschi’ (Imola), fig. 9, top; cf. also Rozoy, J.-G. 1987, ‘Les celtes en Champagne’ (Mém. Soc. Archéol. Champenoise, 4) 1, Etude, 341-5).
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Register: This seems to belong to the Gaulish burial at Marson, sketched in ms book.
- Location
- Not on display
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- ML.2863