File:Early-Medieval buckle (FindID 246828).jpg

English: Small gold buckle consisting of an oval loop with a tongue with curved tip and a hinged, high-rectangular plate. Three rivets in form of small cabochon garnets set inside a triple frame made from a plain gold and two beaded wire collars are arranged across the plate. The middle garnet is cracked. The tongue rest shows signs of wear and the back of the plate is plain except for the three rivet stumps.

The size of the buckle suggests that it may have come from a pouch or knife strap, although in the seventh century very narrow waist belts were popular as well.

The buckle is of Marzinzik's Type II.24a (2003), a very common buckle form. Pieces made from precious metal and set with garnets are, however, rare. Examples include the large silver buckle with gold and garnet filigree rivets from Ford, Laverstock, Wilts. (Musty 1969, Fig. 5 and Pl. 27) and the elaborate gold and garnet buckle from Tostock, Suffolk (Ford 1998, Pl. VII and Fig. 128.10).

Non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis of the surface of the buckle indicated a gold composition of 70-73% and a silver content of 25-27%, the remainder being copper. Raman spectroscopy identified the three red stones as garnets.

Width of loop 24mm; Length of loop 16mm; Width of plate 13mm; Length of plate (excl. attachments) 0.9mm; Weight 6.4 grams.