01-07-2013, 01:33 PM
This buckle was found in the excavations of Crane Godevry, the site of a medieval manor (but with possible 5th century occupation), near the major coastal post-roman site at Gwithian, Cornwall.
In several publications by Charles Thomas, the original digger, it is described as a 5th century, sub-roman, buckle, yelding several characteristics common with late roman buckles from which it was derived.
To me such a dating seems consistent with the rectangular shape of the buckle frame, remining of several early 5th century exemples found at for exemple Traprain Law in Scotland or Pont de Buis in Brittany.
However I stambled upon a more recent article on Gwithian by J. Nowakowski - who did most of the work on the site's archive - where she describes it as a 7-8th century merovingian buckle.
It doesn't look like the frankish buckles I know of, yet it would be consistant with the floruit of Gwithian, in the late 6th-7th century with the importation of E-ware from Gaul.
References are:
- Henrietta Quinnell, Anna Lawson-Jones, Jacky Nowakowski, Joanna Sturgess, Carl Thorpe, Charles Thomas, Gwithian, Cornwall: Excavations 1949-1969, Council for British Archaeology, 2007 - http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/arch...N=91851367 et là pour le pdf http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/cata...lume_I.pdf
- Charles Thomas, Britain and Ireland in Early Christian Times, A.D. 400-800, Library of Mediaeval Civilization), 1971.
- Jacqueline A. Nowakowski, Current Archaeology, number 220 - http://www.currentpublishing.com/library...age18.html
What are your thoughts?
"O niurt Ambrois ri Frangc ocus Brethan Letha."
"By the strenght of Ambrosius, king of the Franks and the Armorican Bretons."
Lebor Bretnach, Irish manuscript of the Historia Brittonum.
Agraes / Morcant map Conmail / Benjamin Franckaert
"By the strenght of Ambrosius, king of the Franks and the Armorican Bretons."
Lebor Bretnach, Irish manuscript of the Historia Brittonum.
Agraes / Morcant map Conmail / Benjamin Franckaert