Accession No

1883.833


Description

Bone skate made from a horse metacarpal. Obverse has gashes throughout surface. Reverse is highly polished in a central strip. Proximal end is slightly sharpened into a rounded point, which is pierced on either side. The other end is worked flat with a circular perforation.


Place

Europe; British Isles; England; London; Bread Street


Period

?Anglo Saxon ?Medieval ?Post Medieval


Source

Cambridge Antiquarian Society [donor]; Deck, Isaiah [collector]


Department

Arch


Reference Numbers

1883.833; 93


Cultural Affliation


Material

Bone


Local Term


Measurements

47mm x 28mm x 218mm


Events

Description (Labels & Markings)
Marked on base of skate, in faded ink: 'Bone skate Bread St 1845'.
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn


Description (Labels & Markings)
Label affixed to object reads: 'Camb. Antiq. Soc. Found near Bread Street, London 1845. From the late Mr. I. Deck's Collection, 1854.' On either side of the label, written in a later hand: 'C.A.M. 833'. Rectangular sticker with printed '93' affixed to object.
Event Date
Author: Imogen Gunn


Description (Physical description)
Bone skate
Event Date
Author: maa


Context (Field collection)
Found near Bread Street, London in 1845.
Event Date 1845
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)


Context (Other owners)
Acquired by the Cambridge Antiquarian Society in 1854.
Event Date 1854
Author: maa


Conservation (Surface Clean)
CON.2015.2061 | Surface Clean
Event Date 9/11/2015
Author: kw402


Context (References)
Joy, J. (May/June 2016). 'Hide and Seek: What Happened to Ancient Children?' British Archaeology, no. 148. pp. 42-47
Event Date 2016
Author: Imogen Gunn


Context (Amendments / updates)
Bone skates made from horse metacarpals were common in the late Saxon and medieval periods, and continued to be in use until as late as the early 20th century in some areas of England. As this example is unstratified, the Period field has been amended to include 'Anglo-Saxon' and 'Medieval' as well as the original 'Post Medieval'. For more details, see: MacGregor, A. 1976. ‘Bone Skates: A Review of the Evidence’. Archaeological Journal 133, pp. 57-74.
Event Date 11/2/2016
Author: Imogen Gunn


Context (Display)
On display in 'Hide and Seek: Looking for Children in the Past', Li Ka Shing Gallery, MAA from 30 January 2016 to 29 January 2017.
Event Date 11/2/2016
Author: Imogen Gunn


Description (Physical description)
Skate made from a horse metacarpal. Obverse has natural patina with some scratching at distal end. Reverse is highly polished in a narrow strip. Proximal end is sharpened into a rounded point, which is pierced.
Event Date 11/2/2016
Author: maa


Description (Physical description)
Bone skate made from a horse metacarpal. Obverse has gashes throughout surface. Reverse is highly polished in a central strip. Proximal end is slightly sharpened into a rounded point, which is pierced on either side. The other end is worked flat with a circular perforation.
Event Date 8/2/2024
Author: Jodi Zhang


FM:45180

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