Fishy like bronze find from the last rally.

[Neil]

Evening all. I had an email off Magpie the other day who was the finder of that lovely bronze fish/man shaped object. Heres his message:

"Hi all l have an update on that bronze item l dug up on the rally. Well l took it to the museum in Cardiff & saw my good friend Mark Lodwick, Anyway he's had a good look at it & says it is Roman but what of or from what it belongs to is a mystery. So l think l'm going to give this artefact a title of a Roman bucket mount in the form of the god of Neptune. Whom is the Roman god of freshwater. However, this was later identified with the Greek god of the sea Poseidon. So if anyone has any other addition input on this item l would be grateful if you could post it up on the forum thanks Magpie."

Has anyone seen any similar items elsewhere? I thought now that we are certain thats its Roman it may help with finding comparisons.

Once again well done Magpie - a beautiful find on your first DW rally!

Neil

[Roman (Ray)]

cracking find mate.roman can fault it lovely find fella..great stuff.
ray

[Val Beechey]

Now don't laugh TOO loud but yes I have seen something similar.

Do you remember the Charlton Heston epic 'Ben Hur'  After an epic voyage he took part in the famous chariot scene in the arena in Rome.
After each lap a fishy/dolphin like thingy was dropped on a board to mark the number of laps. I wonder if there is any historical evidence for this. If there is then your 'fishy' item could be a game marker, praps.

Val

[tyna]

http://youtu.be/nKnFLPV2yDY

Look bigger Val - take a look

[Val Beechey]

I know that Tyna. But it just reminded me me of them. It could be a portable version. I read somewhere that they were keen on board games and what not. Who knows ??
Got to admit it's a possiblity.
Clever you for finding it.

Val

[tyna]

Clever you for remembering 

[Chef Geoff]

All I'm going to say is UUUUUUUUMMMMMM

[nobby]

what about a roman fishing weight

[Meatslicer]

With the iron-looking corrosiopn around the hole it might be a mount from something like a charriot. Can you post a picky of it when its been cleaned up? The 'Tail' looks a bit plant like to me and the side fins are more leaf like than fishy. The way it would hang if it was free hanging would be upside down for a fish too. Looks a bit like a vine leaf on the end which would be a bit mor Backus or God of Wine-ish

Eric

[Chef Geoff]

Eric I can't even see any Iron stain on it and even if there was how on earth do you get from that to chariot?
I know what you mean about the veins in a leaf but that is how fishes tails are portrayed sometimes. yes the fish would be upside down, but if you imagine that a bigger part is missing and what ever it was is swallowing the fish then it makes a bit more sense.

[Meatslicer]

Looks like iron corrosion around the hole, the red stuff.
I have checked on the PAS database and there are several of this shape items that have been recorded, most are made of lead. one is the handle from a roman helmet, one is the handle from a vessel. Given the size of this, I was thinking it might have been from a horse or chariot harness decoration.

http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/390672

(NARC-DB1815, LVPL-554251, KENT-6088A3, SUR-292BC4, LEIC-8CC250, LANCUM-F79885)

http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/388461

http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/NMS-23D975 (Bronze)

  Looks like this object, is probably half of a drop handle from a vessel

http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/386255

Suggestions were asked for, I have given some.

Eric

[nobby]

Val Beechy started it with her ben hur chariot racing!!

[Val Beechey]

Thats it. Go on. Blame me. I'm used to it. I'm an idiot who doesn't know what she's talking about. And I don't care any more.

Any way I know my leeks from my onions and thats where I'm going right now.

Val

[geordiefred]

Dont know what it is but I like it!