Double-Sided Antler and Bone Combs in Late Roman Britain

Nina Crummy is an independent researcher working mainly on Roman small finds from eastern and southern England. Chiefly known for her work on small finds from Colchester, Winchester and Silchester. her research interests include zoomorphic objects and items made from skeletal materials. Graduating from Keele University in 1971, she has an MA from the University of Wales Trinity St David (2014) and is a Senior Visiting Research Fellow of the University of Reading.Richard Henry is a Doctoral Research Student at the University of Reading and Curator of Archaeology for Southampton City Council. A find specialist and numismatist, he has a particular interest in late Roman Britain and the 5th century transition. A graduate of the University of Wales, Lampeter, he gained an MSc from Bournemouth University (2016), where he is a Visiting Research Fellow. While the Finds Liaison Officer for Wiltshire, he curated the award-winning exhibition ‘Terry Pratchett: HisWorld’.

• Preface and Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Introducing the combsThe datasetTerminologyThe combs in a wider contextCombs and Winchester: a preliminary note Chapter 2: Their date of arrival in BritainThe evidenceAnomalies explainedContemporary material and events Chapter 3: Manufacture and marketingManufactureMarketing Chapter 4: Aspects of the assemblageLate Roman or Anglo-Saxon?Other forms of composite comb used in late Roman BritainAn unusual variant Chapter 5: Stylistic groupsCustomised combs or devolved designs?Horse combsDolphin and Devolved Dolphin combsOwl combsStraight-centred combs with long connecting-plates: very Devolved Dolphins/OwlsConcave-ended combsEnd-plate groups and connecting-plate design Chapter 6: Distribution and contextDistribution and possible production centresDistribution by end-plate groupArchaeological contexts: baths, votives and burialsSite type Chapter 7: Combs from funerary contextsGenderThe importance of ageFemale status and identityComb positionBody positionEthnicity Chapter 8: ConclusionConcentrations and gapsBurial data and typologyValued objects, further research CatalogueCombs from inhumation burialsOther combs from cemeteries (disturbed grave goods?)Combs from non-funerary contextsSites with double-sided composite combs not in the catalogue but used in Figure 6.1 Appendix 1: Combs by the sex and age of the human remainsAppendix 2: Concordance by end-plate groupAppendix 3: Concordance by site typeBibliography

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