[Bonetools] Is this part of a funerary couch ?

[Stephen Greep]

Hi Ian,

 

There are similar leaves (in bone) from the funerary couch in the pre flavian ‘childs burial’ at Colchester (see Hella Eckardt’s paper in Britannia, XXX, Pl. XIII,B). I have looked at this material (I append my own record shot of some of the leaves – there are more than this).  This is one of only two examples of funerary couches of this type known in Britain (well known to me!) – the other (no leaves; only a few ivory fragments) are from a rich pre-flavian grave just outside Verulamium (see my notes in Ros Niblett’s. The Excavation of a Ceremonial Site at Folly Lane, Verulamium, 172 – 5 (1999). I can’t see any leaves on the couch published by Nichols in Archaeologia in 1979 nor in the recent paper on these couches by Bianchi (C. Bianchi, I letti con rivestimento in osso e avorio, “LANX” 5 (2010), pp. 39‐106); but I don’t have other references on my bookshelf 9there are lots of references in Bianchi’s paper – I have a pdf of this.

 

I have not handled any of the continental material but your leaf looks much more ‘sturdy’ than the Colchester fragments (I am also not too sure what the drilled hole on your piece is for, perhaps fixing (not a feature of the early couches) . I wonder if it is more related to the leaves found in an early fourth century workshop in Colchester published by Nina Crummy (Britannia XII, 1981, 279 for the leaves). Just for ease (AND NOT TO SCALE) – Colchester (early fourth century), Northampton, Colchester pre-Flavian.

 



 

Without seeing your leaf for real I would tend to favour the later interpretation; in terms of size (thickness in particular); the Colchester couch examples are all sawn flat at one end, yours looks more like the later Colchester pieces. None of the Colchester couch pieces have a perforation like yours.

 

You didn’t say what date your piece is?

 

Just for your interest I also append a paper I recently published on a late fourth/early fifth century furniture makers workshop from South Shields (this has notes on earlier material as well). The full reference is from , Arbeia, 10, 129 – 148 (2015).

 

I hope this helps

 

Stephen (Greep)

 

From: Bonetools [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of Ian Riddler
Sent: 05 August 2015 10:16
To: Bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
Subject: [Bonetools] Is this part of a funerary couch ?

 

Dear Group,

 

I enclose here an image of a recent find from Northamptonshire in England. It looks to me as if it is part of an early Roman funerary couch or bed, as discussed by J- C. Beal and Chiara Bianchi, amongst others. I wonder if anybody would agree with this interpretation ! If so, it could well be the northernmost example from the Roman Empire,

 

Any thoughts very welcome,

 

Ian Riddler

 

 

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