333 (43)

306

Dress Accessories

colours represented (nos. 1493, 1498, 1514 and 1524), were analysed by Mikę Heyworth by infra-red spectroscopy (details in Heyworth 1988). Comparison of the absorption spectra obtained with data on amber from known sources indicates an absorption band between 8 and 9 microns for all the London samples, which is characteristic of amber from Baltic deposits. This does not, however, indicate whether the amber was imported from the Baltic Sea area, or was collected on the beaches of eastem England.

Medieval amber beads have been excavated in Canterbury and Southampton (Henig and Woods in Sherlock and Woods 1988, 228 no. 147; Platt and Coleman-Smith 1975, 275-76 no. 1956 fig 249).

Finished beads

Sphericallspheroid

Patemoster with amber beads 1489 BC72 acc. no. 1836 (context 79) ceramic phase 11 colour pl 8H Incomplete; two lengths of tubular tablet-woven silken braid (Identification by F Pritchard - an earlier descrip-tion as cotton in Mead 1977, 212, is erroneous), respectively 116 and 66mm, and presumed to be originally from a single piece of string; the former has five and the latter has three surviving rounded beads. The sizes and colours do not match precisely and the shaping is uneven - beads on the shorter piece of string vary between diameter 7mm, length 7.5mm and d 8, 1 9mm (ie spheroid and oval), four of the beads are translucent orange, the other is slightly opaque; one bead has a fragment of twig as an inclusion, and they all have faults - stress marks, chips, areas of discoloura-tion, etc. The variations and imperfections of the beads mean that this would not be considered a high-quality item by modem standards.

1490    TL74    2406    (*2529)    9

Spherical; d 3mm; yellow.

1491    TL74    2443    (*2525)    9

Incomplete; spheroid; d 4, 1 5mm; yellow.

1492    TL74    2432    (*2525)    9 fig 205

Biconvex; d 5,1 3mm; yellow.

1493    TL74    2437    (*2525)    9

Incomplete; biconvex; d 6.5, 1 4mm; yellow.

1494    BC72 2886 (*250) 10 Incomplete; spheroid; d estd c.S, 1 7.5mm; yellow.

1495    BC72 4790A-G (*250) 10 Seven items, all spheroid:

d 3.5, 1 3mm; yellow. d 3.5, 1 3mm; orange.

Incomplete; d 5, 1 4mm; orange.

Spherical, d 6mm; yellow.

Incomplete; d 7, 1 6mm; yellow.

Incomplete; d 8, 1 6.5mm; opaque yellow.

Incomplete; d 12, 1 15mm; orange.

1496    TL74    344D    (*306)    11

Incomplete; spheroid, d 5+, 1 6.5mm, yellow.

1497    TL74 344C (as preceding)

As preceding; d 6, 1 5mm; yellow.

1498    TL74    344B    (as no.    1496)

As preceding; d 6+, 1 6.5mm; yellow.

1499    TL74    344A    (*306)    11

Incomplete; spheroid; d 8,1 6.5mm; yellow with stress lines.

1500    TL74    982    (414) 11

As preceding; d 8.5, 1 6mm; yellow.

1501    TL74 981 (414) 11 colour pl 9C.

As preceding; d 12, 1 6.5mm; yellow.

Obiatę spheroidlflat-ended

1502 TL74 1439 (47) 9 fig 205 & colour pl 9C

Fiat ended; d 5, 1 3.5mm; orange.

1503    BC72    4790H&I    (*250)    10

Two items:

Obiatę spheroid; d 5.5, 1 2.5mm; yellow.

Obiatę spheroid; d 7.5, 1 3mm; yellow.

1504    BC72    1794 (55)    11

Fiat ended; d 8.5, 1 4mm; yellow, with opaque areas.

1505    TL74    343 (291)    11

Incomplete; flat-ended; d 8.5, 1 5mm; yellow.

1506 TL74 560 (*306) 11 Incomplete; flat-ended; d 9,1 6mm; yellow.

Oval

1507    SWA81 1310 (2028) 9 fig 205 d 5.5, 1 9mm; orange.

1508    BC72 4790J (250) 10 colour pl 9D d 6, 1 7mm; orange with stress lines.

Possibly discarded as a reject.