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This artefact was discovered by a metal-detectorist near Corringham, Lincolnshire, earlier this year. It has been identified as one of the spherical knops from an Iron Age openwork toggle or possibly a fragment from a horse harness, and is believed to date to c.200 BC-AD 42.
It measures 22.8mm in length and 20.7mm in diameter with two stems, likely remnants of the toggle’s frame, extending outward from the base of the knop. The rest of the bars have broken off. The knop is decorated with a layer of inlaid red enamel and a central raised copper-alloy La Tène ‘S’ spiral, formed from two keeled roundels. The toggle can be stylistically dated to the late Iron Age by comparing other ‘S’ spirals found on terrets and other horse-harness fittings – its presence on this kind of object, however, lacks a direct parallel.
Although similar decorative elements appear on other late Iron Age artefacts in Britain, this is the first known example from Lincolnshire. Additionally, while similarly shaped toggles have previously been recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), they were either undecorated or had only minimal adornment. Therefore, the toggle has been identified as a find of local importance.
Lincolnshire’s Historic Environment Record notes no contemporary site near where the toggle was discovered. However, PAS data reveals a scattering of Iron Age artefacts found along the River Trent near Gainsborough, a short distance from the findspot. This pattern may indicate a continuation of special places and deposition practices near watery locales, which began in the Bronze Age and is also seen in the Iron Age, suggesting the Trent’s sustained attractiveness for symbolic activity.
For more information about this toggle, see https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1207160 or search for LIN-8442DC on the PAS database (https://finds.org.uk).
The Portable Antiquities Scheme is an initiative to encourage the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales. For more information on the Scheme, and to browse its database of almost 1.8 million finds, visit https://finds.org.uk. This piece was written by Georgia Shucksmith, Lincolnshire Portable Antiquities Intern. With thanks to Sophia Adams, British Museum, and Sally Worrell, University College London, for assistance with identification.
Text: Kathryn Krakowka / Image: Lincolnshire County Council
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