Abstract
Two Anglo-Saxon graves from Shrewton, England, one recorded in 1968 and another published in 1812, are reviewed.
The high status of these burials is demonstrated in the recovery of a rare gold pendant and a copper-alloy openwork
girdle-hanger. The iconography of the bracteate pendant, with its unusual anthropomorphic figure holding snakes, is
considered in the context of similar images. The girdle-hanger is described together with the distribution, dating,
function and associations of this class of copper-alloy object. Comparable perforated antler/‘bone’ discs are treated
similarly and English parallels for both are presented as a catalogue. The location of the graves and details relating to
the 1812 record are reassessed.
The high status of these burials is demonstrated in the recovery of a rare gold pendant and a copper-alloy openwork
girdle-hanger. The iconography of the bracteate pendant, with its unusual anthropomorphic figure holding snakes, is
considered in the context of similar images. The girdle-hanger is described together with the distribution, dating,
function and associations of this class of copper-alloy object. Comparable perforated antler/‘bone’ discs are treated
similarly and English parallels for both are presented as a catalogue. The location of the graves and details relating to
the 1812 record are reassessed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Le témoignage de la culture matérielle: mélanges offerts au Professeur Vera Evison.The Evidence of Material Culture: Studies in Honour of Professor Vera Evisonr |
| Editors | Ian Riddler, Jean Soulat, Lynne Keys |
| Place of Publication | Autun |
| Publisher | Éditions Mergoil |
| Pages | 89-117 |
| Number of pages | 29 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Edition | Europe Médiévale |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-2-35518-060-6 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- Anglo-Saxon, pendant, bracteate, girdle-hanger, grave, Shrewton, Wiltshire, England, gold, copper alloy, antler, bone