File:Roman Copper-alloy Medical Implement (FindID 499455).jpg

English: A complete copper-alloy medical implement of Romano-British date. This artefact is a ligula and seems to be complete despite having been bent in three places. The ligula consists of a small flat circular disc, 5.41mm wide, 5.70mm in length and 1.24mm thick, at the end of a long gradually tapering circular sectioned shaft with a short length of moulded decoration off centre between the two ends. The circular disc has a rectangular cross-section. This disc is subtly angled rather than being in exactly the same plane as the rest of the artefact, although it has not been possible to determine whether this was part of the original design or represents later damage. At the base of the disc the implement gains a circular cross-section and has a diameter of 1.71mm that gradually increases in diameter, for a length of 9.67mm, until it is 3.09mm in diameter. The next 15.97mm length of shaft is occupied by the moulded detail. This moulding is formed of a transverse disc of 5.53mm diameter and 1.56mm thickness. This first disc is separated from the next by a grooved gap of 1.34mm that reduces the diameter of the shaft to 4.89mm. The second disc increases the shaft's diameter to 6.35mm and is 0.52mm thick. The second grooved gap has a length of 1.62mm and reduces the diameter of the shaft to 5.54mm. The third disc has a diameter of 6.90mm and is 0.85mm thick. The next groove is longer at 3.60mm and narrows the shaft to a diameter of 2.84mm. This is then followed by a single moulded bun-shaped bead of 6.27mm diameter and length of 3.37mm. The final groove narrows the diameter of the shaft to 3.43mm for a length of 1.99mm. The final transverse disc has a diameter of 6.27mm and is 1.24mm thick. Below the moulded section the shaft has a diameter of 2.87mm that tapers gradually, for a length of c.100.00mm, to a pointed tip of approximately 0.80mm diameter. This ligula weighs 5.96g and has a total length of c.133.00mm

See Arnott, R. (Ed.), BAR I.S. no.1046, 2002, Jackson, R. p.87, fig.1, no.5 & p.245, fig.7, no.9. Also see plainer examples in: Crummy, N. 1983, p.59-60, fig.64, no.1897-1907 - Bishop, M. C. 1996, p.36-37, fig.20, nos.205-208 & Blagg, T., Plouviez, J. & Tester, A. 2004, p.116-117, fig.77, nos.103-107.