Romano-British Pierced 'Spoon'
(L. 12.4cm) Deeply carved ‘barley sugar’ spiral shaft with expanded head representing a duck in profile. Oval, almost undished bowl with central triangular piercing. Two ring and dots below piercing , well polished surface. Quite what this artefact represents is an ongoing mystery. It looks like a spoon, but the bowl is perforated. Dozens of these have been found at the back of Victoria Cave, representing almost half of all the known examples found in Britain. They are nearly always found at sites connected with the Roman army or Roman lifestyles, and were probably made around 150-250AD. Whatever their purpose, they are arguably the oldest surviving folk art in the Dales.
Dearne, M J and Lord, T C (eds.) 1998. The Romano-British Archaeology of Victoria Cave, Settle. Research into the site and its artefacts. British Archaeological Reports. British Series 278
Archived in the Tot Lord Collection, Yorkshire.
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