This month, we highlight an intriguing copper-alloy vessel mount found near Rattlesden.
This copper-alloy vessel mount is in the form of a female head. It includes stylised features, including a headpiece or helmet and drapery at the base of the face, as indicated by incised grooves. The face is worn, but it retains oval eyes, a moulded nose, and mouth. The object also includes an integral circular loop, which would have allowed a handle to be fastened to the vessel at a 45-degree angle. The reverse shows signs of soldering for attachment.
This mount is most likely from a Hemmoor bucket, so called after the site where brass buckets with similar mounts were discovered during excavations in Hemmoor, Germany. These buckets contained cremated remains, burnt game pieces, molten metal fragments and bone combs amongst other items. They were identified as Roman based on their shape and the style of the decorative elements on several of the pieces. They are 15-30 cm tall, cylindrical to hemispherical in shape, have small, flat feet and are carried by an arch-shaped handle.
The buckets were deposited in the second half of the 2nd century to the middle of the 3rd century but may well have been produced earlier than their deposition dates. Although the buckets were used as urns when they were buried, their origin function was probably for use in the kitchen. The handle attachment mounts, of which this is an example, were soldered on later, and can have the shape of a female head, but zoomorphic and triangular-leaf shaped mounts have also been found.
There are approximately 150 buckets known which fit within the Hemmoor type. They are distributed throughout the Roman provinces. However, further discoveries have been made on the other side of the Limes, west of the Elbe, and north into southern Scandinavia.
View the full record on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database: SF-421AA0
Thank you to the finder for allowing this object to be featured.
This find was recorded by the Suffolk Finds Recording Team, supported by the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
Find out More
Luik, 2013, ‘Ein Hemmoorer Eimer von Rainau-Dalkingen, Ostalbkreis, Baden-Württemberg. GERMANIA. Anzeiger der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Jargang 91. Frankfurt.
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