Crucifix part. Any ideas of date ?

[epmg]

Any ideas of the date of this metal crucifix part? Found on an old pilgrims' track.
Thanks.

[sweepstick47]

It may be useful if you're able to state what metal is used in it's construction
cheers. Eric

[liamnolan]

Interesting find, well done Hopefully ancient, pity its fragmented, the rest may be close by though, Liam

[epmg]

It may be useful if you're able to state what metal is used in it's construction
cheers. Eric

Possibly pewter?

[epmg]

Interesting find, well done Hopefully ancient, pity its fragmented, the rest may be close by though, Liam

Thanks Liam, unfortunately there was nothing else nearby.

[liamnolan]

I remember reading an archi report that discussed the dispersal of items in the soil. One interesting finding was that even after 1000 years or so of field cultivation and the resultant soil movements, an item rarely moved more than 10 yards away from the spot where dropped.
Exceptions would be getting stuck to tractor parts, building and soil removal etc. You see it in hoards, the dispersal area quite limited, Liam

[liamnolan]

Erics query may lean towards whether the item is Viking "bling" taken from a church during one of their raids. They would chop up the silver items into hack silver and later trade or melt them down for bullion.
Easily mistaken for silver and possibly discarded later when found not to be valuable. Just an idea and makes the find more interesting, Liam

[epmg]

I remember reading an archi report that discussed the dispersal of items in the soil. One interesting finding was that even after 1000 years or so of field cultivation and the resultant soil movements, an item rarely moved more than 10 yards away from the spot where dropped.
Exceptions would be getting stuck to tractor parts, building and soil removal etc. You see it in hoards, the dispersal area quite limited, Liam

That's interesting and makes a lot of sense. The track went across a field which has been ploughed for many years, this could be the only remnant left in the immediate vicinity after tractor collisions etc.

[Sven@1970]

Erics query may lean towards whether the item is Viking "bling" taken from a church during one of their raids. They would chop up the silver items into hack silver and later trade or melt them down for bullion.
Easily mistaken for silver and possibly discarded later when found not to be valuable. Just an idea and makes the find more interesting, Liam

It is an interesting hypothesis that of Viking Age looting, speaking of this object, but are we sure that it is more than a thousand years old?

[liamnolan]

I think we are still in the maybe/perhaps/possibly stage re the item. Good to discuss, could be any age and even grave goods, coffin ornamentation. Liam

[oldartefact]

Probably Victorian ... but nice to find all the same XXX

[The Don]

The fragment you have looks fairly identical to a metal one I have here and about the same size, not quite the same but very similar even to the pattern on the back, that one is a metal alloy and about late Victorian to mid twentieth centaury.
Size wise it's a fairly good match, can't remember if it came from my Mother, or my step-father or my Grand father, I know I didn't buy it so (prefer wood mounted) must be one of them I think, got a feeling it might have been my Mother, though I think it might have been my step-fathers before he died.


The Don
PS Having seen more than a few in my lifetime, I doubt if it's any older than Victorian.
(Catholic household)