[Bonetools] Is this part of a funerary couch ?

[trzaska at lineone.net]

Hello again Stephen,

Yes apologies I didn't mean to say that it was definitely part of a couch. It is clearly a 
composite object of Roman date and a fascinating find for that part of the world, but unfortunately 
unstratified and I although I would love to see its findspot investigated, that is unlikely I 
suspect, which is a shame,



ianR



>----Original Message----

>From: sjgreep at gmail.com

>Date: 05/08/2015 13:32

>To: "'Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the study of

> object and waste of bone,

> antler. ivory and horn.'"<bonetools at listserv.niif.hu>

>Subj: Re: [Bonetools] Is this part of a funerary couch ?

>

>Hi Ian,

>

>I don’t think I was saying it was part of a funerary couch - rather the opposite! I think it’s a 
veneer of some sort, but not one of the early funerary couches

>

>Stephen

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: Bonetools [mailto:bonetools-bounces at listserv.niif.hu] On Behalf Of trzaska at lineone.net

>Sent: 05 August 2015 12:54

>To: bonetools at listserv.niif.hu

>Subject: Re: [Bonetools] Is this part of a funerary couch ?

>

>Hello Stephen,

>

>Many thanks for the quick response to the query. I was pretty convinced that it was part of a 
funerary couch but it is great to have confirmation of that. It was originally presented to me as 
post-medieval boneworking, probably not of much interest, and it has come through the PAS as an 
unstratified find from North Northamptonshire. The finder isn't very reliable, unfortunately, but 
has clearly stumbled across something very important. I have passed your comments on to the PAS, in 
the hope that something will be done about it. At the very least, its significance is now apparent 
to them,

>

>

>

>Thanks again,

>

>

>

>Ian Riddler

>

>

>

>>----Original Message----

>

>>From: sjgreep at gmail.com

>

>>Date: 05/08/2015 10:46

>

>>To: "'Mailing list for archaeologists of the research group for the 

>>study of

>

>> object and waste of bone,

>

>> antler. ivory and horn.'"<bonetools at listserv.niif.hu>

>

>>Subj: Re: [Bonetools] Is this part of a funerary couch ?

>

>>

>

>>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

>

>>

>

>> 

>

>>

>

>> 

>

>>

>

>>_______________________________________________

>

>>Bonetools mailing list

>

>>Bonetools at listserv.niif.hu

>

>>https://listserv.niif.hu/mailman/listinfo/bonetools
>>

>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Bonetools mailing list
>Bonetools at listserv.niif.hu
>https://listserv.niif.hu/mailman/listinfo/bonetools
>