File:Chatelaine, Medieval, broken (FindID 1019217).jpg

English: An incomplete cast copper-alloy object possibly a chatelaine dating from the Medieval period (c. 1200-1300).  

The object consists of a sub-trapezoidal plate of copper alloy, with a concave waist below the top edge.  The top was perforated by a series of three circular apertures that are now broken.  The parallel sides are shallowly scalloped and terminate with a wider bottom edge, also perforated by a series of four circular apertures. Three raised collars divide the centre of the plate into two parallel transverse bands, separating the waist from the expanded section below.  The object is cast and identical on both sides. It has a medium green colour.

The object is 18.5mm in length, 13.7mm wide at the broken top and 19.2mm wide at the bottom, it is 2.5mm thick and weighs 3.5 grams.

Complete examples of this chatelaine, can be found on the database including PUBLIC-56710A, WILT-20124C,  SUR-B1FC42, SUR-EA7CA1 and BH-D822D5.

Although two very similar examples from Coddenham were dated by West to the late Anglo-Saxon or early medieval period (West 1998, Fig. 22.19 and 22.20), no evidence was given to support this date. A similar object was excavated from ditch MH193 at Thrislington, County Durham (Austin 1989, fig. 57 no. 13). This ditch appears to have been dug during the 13th-century rebuilding of the manor house and was later filled in during alterations to the house before its final abandonment in the mid 14th century (Austin 1989, 49 and 52, fig. 14.3-4). The likely date for the object is therefore 13th century.