EXCAVATIONS IN 1999 ON LAND ADJACENT TO WAYSIDE FARM, DEVIZES 



179 



century. Most hipposandals are found on town sites. 

 Overall length: 214mm. 



Fig. 17.1. (8). Area 2, midden seg. 4175, SF243. 

 Paring chisel with socketed handle. The socket retains 

 some mineral-preserved wood. Socketed handles are 

 unusual for paring chisels but are normal on chisels which 

 were used for heavier work. The thinness of the blade 

 (3.5mm) confirms that this is a paring chisel. Length 

 187mm, diameter of socket 20mm, width of blade 10mm. 



Fig. 17.2. (9). Area 2, midden seg. 4167, SF262. 

 Long rod or bar beaten out at one end to form a thin 

 strip comparable in dimension to the blade of the paring 

 chisel from Hod Hill (Manning 1985, B30).The tang of 

 this example is more slight than that from Hod Hill. 

 Length 205mm, shank c. 6 x 6mm, 'blade' c. 12 x 3mm. 



Fig. 17.3. (13). Area 2, midden seg. 4067, SF186. 

 Large drill bit or auger with pyramidal tang. The shank 

 below the tang shoulders is cigar-shaped. The end is 

 broken and has been incompletely cleaned. The original 

 form of the tool is unknown, but the pyramidal head 

 indicates the general type of tool. The swollen shaft is 

 unusual and may have a special function. Length 1 66mm, 

 max. diameter c. 14mm. 



Fig. 17.4. (14). Area 2, layer 4001, SF352.Tool, in 

 very poor condition, the main body of the tool is heavily 

 fissured and splitting although the tang end is in 

 comparatively good condition.. Tapers to both ends, 

 cleaning appears to show one end to have a U-shaped 

 cross-section in the manner of spoon bits or gouges. This 

 object, however, is almost half the size of tools of this 

 type, so some doubt to its true shape, and function must 

 remain. Length 76mm. 



Fig. 17.5. (11). Area 2, layer 4001, SF232. Probable 

 pruning hook, with open socket for handle, probably of 

 Manning's Type 1 (1985, F44/45), that is with the blade 

 set at right angles to the socket. This example is broken at 

 the point where the blade bends. Functionally these small 

 hooks would have served many uses in an agricultural or 

 horticultural setting, from pruning to leaf cutting or even 

 as small reaping hooks. Extant length 1 26mm. 



Fig. 17.6. (10). Area 2, layer 4001, SF106. 

 Incomplete socketed tool. The socket is open, the 

 'business' end is incomplete, but appears to be triangular 

 in cross-section suggesting that this is a socketed knife. 

 Although uncommon, similar knives are well documented. 

 Compare with illustrated examples from the British 

 Museum collections (Manning 1985, Q62-Q65) three of 

 which are from London. Extant length 69mm. 



Fig. 17.7. (7). Area 2, layer 4001, SF103. Large 

 object, possible hammer head broken across eye. Romano- 

 British hammers are not common, but large, sledge- 

 hammer type hammer heads have been found. 

 Excavations at Ickham, Kent produced a large, 4th- 

 century hammer (N. Griffiths pers. comm.) and Manning 

 lists three (1985, 5) which he suggested were smiths' tools. 

 This example is from the clearance layer (4001) at the 

 top of the midden deposit. It may be post-Roman, even 

 post-medieval, but in association with other artefacts 



recovered from this layer, there is a strong possibility that 

 this is a Roman hammer head. Extant length 65mm, 

 diameter of face c. 44 x 42mm. 



Object 12. Area 2, midden seg. 4031, SF412. 

 Socketed tool - socket only extant. The socket is an open 

 one, and pierced by a single nail hole. The object is broken 

 in such a way that it is not possible to determine what 

 kind of tool this was. There appears to be mineral- 

 preserved wood from the handle within the socket. Extant 

 length 80mm, diameter of socket 17mm. 



Object 15. Area 2, midden seg. 4024, SF341. ?Awl, 

 double tapering. Of the type of small awl, fitted into 

 wooden handles which would have been used by leather- 

 workers for piercing holes. Would possibly also work as a 

 carpenter's bradawl. Length 40mm. 



Object 20. Area 2, midden seg 4024, SF340. Tapering 

 bar, incomplete at both ends. Could be a tool fragment 

 or a fragment of bar iron. Length 81mm. Max cross 

 section 7.5 x 7mm, min cross-section 6 x 3.5mm. 



Object 21. Area 2, midden seg 4114, SF422. Bar, 

 possible bar iron. Angled/irregular ends may indicate cut 

 and torn when hot with a chisel. Maximum size c. 80 x 

 20 x 20mm. 



Object 23. Area 2, layer 4001, SF105. Ferrule- 

 binding/timber clamp bent into approximate square. No 

 nail holes evident. The ends over-lap. Made from a strip 

 c. 197 x 9 x 4mm. 



Object 24. Area 2, midden seg. 4039, SF200. Clamp 

 or timber dog. Central portion c. 89 x 9 x 3mm. Only 

 one complete arm clenched over at tip, length 46mm. 



Object 25. Area 2, layer 4001, SF360. Narrow, 

 featureless strip. Length 62mm, width 5mm. 



Object 26. Area 2, layer 4017, SF223. Sheet fragment 

 38 x 49mm (max). 



Object 27. Area 2, midden seg. 4033, SF421. Two 

 strip fragments, probably from same object; one bent at 

 right angles at one end otherwise featureless. Lengths 

 44mm and 36mm, both 15 mm wide. 



Object 28. Area 2, midden seg. 4047, SF386. 

 Fragment which looks like a knife fragment on the 

 radiograph, an identification which was neither confirmed 

 or refuted on cleaning. Maximum dimension from 

 radiograph 34 x 24mm. 



Object 29. Area 2, midden seg. 4216, SF384. Sheet/ 

 strip fragment. Max dimensions 42 x 40mm. 



Object 30. Area 2, midden seg. 4220, SF423. Strip/ 

 binding fragment, bent at 90a. Extant length 52mm, width 

 c. 15mm. 



Object 32. Area 2, midden seg. 4017, SF228. Strap 

 hinge or bracket fragment with ornate terminal perforated 

 by a single nail hole. Similar to straps and bracket 

 frequently found in domestic and funerary contexts (see 

 Cunliffe, 1 97 1 , fig. 62, 6 1 , Mills 1 99 1 , fig. 87, etc) . Extant 

 length 130mm, width of strap c.23mm. 



Object 33. Area 2, layer 4001, SF1 12. Possibly a nail 

 or, because of 'shank' being curved to form a circle, a 

 swivel. Compare with Manning 1985, S4. Dimensions 

 40 x 25mm. 



