File:Bronze Age casting waste (FindID 989237).jpg

English: A fragment of copper alloy casting waste, probably a jet or mould, probably dating from the late Bronze Age but possibly dating from as late as the Roman period, c. 1500 BC to 450 AD.

The object is formed of a thick central bar which isbroadly rectilinear in plann, but which rises to an off centre ridge. At each end of the central bar, the object flares outwards creating two loosely triangular terminals. These are the result of two circular apertures, of different sizes, which give the impression of an overall hourglass shape. The larger of these is 35mm in width and the smaller is 25.4mm in width. The central bar narrows on the reverse, tapering from 13.7mm wide and ending as a slender rectilinear base of 7mm in width.The upper surface, while pitted and marked, is relatively regular, while on the reverse, there are depressions which hollow out a flaring rectilinear shape in the centre, and a further less regularly shaped semi triangular depression on the underside of the upper wide area. 

Casting waste is difficult to date in isolation but the patina and form are suggestive of a Bronze Age - Roman date.  The survival of casting waste is relatively rare as it is usually recycled swiftly as a bi-product of casting. The depressions are likely to have been caused by the product moulded cooling and contracting during casting (Reavill pers.comm). Like the first of the named examples below, it may have been from the neck (funnel / well) of a composite probably two part mould.

Relevant similar examples on the PAS database include LVPL-F7963B,  <a href="https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/487703">LVPL-3AAD50</a> and <a href="https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/435317">HESH-B55DB1</a>. 

Measurements:  39.2mm length, 35mm width, 21mm thickness, weight 82.2g.