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1884.140.526

Bronze olivary-headed specillum

1884.140.526

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Collection type
Object
Description
Bronze olivary-headed specillum
Long description
Long copper-alloy medical implement with a olive shaped probe at one end. [CG [Excav. PR] 08/05/2013]
Geographical reference
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
England Greater London City of London EC2 London Wall Gooch and Cousens wool warehouse
Date / Period
Archaeological period: Roman
Date collected
1866
Acquisition information
Donated: 1884 Found unentered: 17/03/2004
Materials and processes
Material Copper Alloy Metal, Process Cast, Process Drawn
Dimensions
Thick: max 2 mm, Width: max 3 mm, Length: max 164 mm, Weight 3 g
Object numbers
Accession number: 1884.140.526 PR Cat other PR nos: 3683
Research and responses

Pitt Rivers worked on archaeological digs at London Wall October - December 1866, this may have been collected then. [AP Leverhulme project on founding collection 1995-1998]

Pitt Rivers monitored excavations happening at London Wall between October and December 1866. He published two papers on this in 1867. His work was also heavily referenced in a 1906 paper by Norman and Reader. Full references: Lane Fox, A. 1867a. ‘On objects of the Roman period found at great depth in the vicinity of the old London Wall’ Archaeological Journal 24:61-64; Lane Fox, A. 1867b. ‘A description of certain piles found near London Wall and Southwark, possibly the remains of pile buildings.’ Journal of the Anthropological Society of London 5:71-83; Norman, P. and Reader, F.W. 1906. ‘Recent discoveries in connection with Roman London.’ Archaeologia 60:169-250 [CB 8/12/2009]

Associated publications
Lane Fox, A.H. 1867. Objects found at great depth in the vicinity of the old London Wall. Archaeological Journal 24: 61-64. [Dan Hicks 29/07/2013] Lane-Fox, A.H. 1867. A description of certain piles found near London Wall and Southwark, possibly the remains of Pile Buildings. Journal of the Anthropological Society of London 5: lxxi-lxxxiii. [Dan Hicks 29/07/2013]

Search terms: Medicine, Medical Accessory

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