Double-Sided Antler and Bone Combs in Late Roman Britain: Stylistic Groups, Context and Status

REVIEW BY NICOLA TRZASKA-NARTOWSKI Keeping up appearances seems to have been as much a part of the ritual of daily life in late Roman Britain as it is today. Combs are such personal items that it is not surprising that they were often placed in graves for use in the afterlife. From a study of just over 150 combs, largely from funerary contexts, it has been possible to explore the new technology of the double-sided composite comb and date its first appearance to around AD 360. Intriguingly and copiously illustrated in the volume, the complexity of their construction is mirrored by the intricacy of their decoration, which frequently has zoomorphic renderings of horses, dolphins, and owls o