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A Newly Found Inscription on a Pair of Silver Bracelets from Castlethorpe, Buckinghamshire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2011

H. E. M. Cool
H. E. M. Cool
Affiliation:
26 A Warriston Crescent, Edinburgh
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Extract

In about 1827 a small hoard of coins and jewellery was found whilst ploughing at Castle-thorpe, Buckinghamshire. The hoard consisted of a pair of silver bracelets, a silver ring with a cornelian intaglio showing Bonus Eventus, and silver and bronze coins, the latest of which belonged to the reigns of Antoninus Pius (138–161) and Verus (161–169). The hoard had been contained in a ‘small black urn’ which was not recovered at the time. During a recent detailed study of the jewellery, which is now in the British Museum, it was observed that the bracelets were inscribed.

Type
Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 10 , November 1979 , pp. 165 - 168
Copyright
Copyright © H. E. M. Cool 1979. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

1 Marshall, F. H., Catalogue of the Jewellery, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman in the Departments of Antiquities, British Museum. (London 1911) (cited below as Jewellery) Nos. 2782–3.Google Scholar

2 Marshall, F. H., Catalogue of the Finger Rings, Greek, Etruscan and Roman in the Department of Antiquities, British Museum. (London 1907)Google Scholar (cited below as Rings) No. 1162. Henig, M., A Corpus of Roman engraved gemstones from British sites. (B.A.R. No. 8, 1974) No. 208.

3 J.B.A.A. ii(1847), 352–3.Google Scholar

4 Museum number AF 413. I would like to thank Miss C. Johns for all her help in making the material available.

5 Holder, A., Alt-Celtisher Sprachschatz iii (Graz, 1962), 179.Google Scholar

6 I. Kajanto, The Latin Cognomina (Societas Scientarum Fennico Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum xxxvi, Part 2) (Helsinki, 1965), 111–2.

7 Evans, D. Ellis, Gaulish Personal Names (Oxford, 1967), 280.Google Scholar I would like to thank Mr M. Hassall and Professor S. S. Frere for their suggestions about the inscription.

8 Jewellery, Nos. 2787–8. Brailsford, J. W.Guide to the Antiquities of Roman Britain (London, 1958)Google Scholar (cited below as Brailsford), fig. 6.

9 Corinium Museum No. B479. My thanks to Mr D. Viner.

10 Dorset County Museum No. 1896–3–17–66.

11 Colchester Museum No. 801.04. My thanks to Mr M. Davies.

12 Maidstone Museum, no number.

13 University Museum, Nottingham No. 49.30.

14 Henkel, Friedrich, Die Römischen Fingerringe der Rheinlande und der Benachbarten Gebiete (Berlin 1913)Google Scholar, Nos. 348–9.

15 Rings, No. 943. Brailsford Fig. 13/4.

16 University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Cambridge. No. 34.869. My thanks to Miss Cra'ster, M.. P.C.A.S. xxxv, pl. id.Google Scholar

17 Archaeologia lxii (1911), fig. 17 (p. 438)Google Scholar. (This was made of lead and has now disintegrated).

18 Rings, Nos. 1144–5.

19 Arch. Journ., viii (1851), 37.Google Scholar Two bronze coins of Antoninus Pius are specifically mentioned, but about 280 silver coins had disappeared before the hoard was published in full.

20 For the dating of the Backworth type of brooch see Antiq. Journ. lv (1975), 57Google Scholar; for the intaglios Henig, op. cit. (note 2), Nos. 523 and 722. Rings, Nos. 451 and 636 are of common first- and second-century form.