https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/templates/general_wide/img/logo.png UKDFD Recording Software https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ Early Medieval https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval.html Hooked Tag https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/hooked-tags/hooked-tag-59198.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:15:54 GMT Hooked tags Hooked Tag  
Description: An Anglo-Saxon triangular hooked tag (dress hook). The tag is triangular in shape, with randomly applied wriggle work and punched-dot decoration on the front surface. The upper edge of the triangle, which contained the holes that allowed the tag to be sewn to a garment, is missing, as is most of the sharp rearward-facing hook. 

For a similar complete example, see UKDFD21392
Category: Early Medieval, Hooked tags
Category: Hooked tags
]]> Hooked Tag https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/hooked-tags/hooked-tag-59185.html Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:24:15 GMT Hooked tags Hooked Tag  
Description: A silver Anglo-Saxon circular hooked tag (dress hook) with two holes for attachment to a garment. The front of the tag has curvilinear decoration set within a finely punched circle of dots close to the outer edge; the back of the tag is plain. The sharp rearward-facing hook remains in situ.
Category: Early Medieval, Hooked tags
Category: Hooked tags
]]> Circular Mount or Stud https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/mounts/circular-mount-or-stud-59152.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:07:04 GMT Mounts Circular Mount or Stud  
Description: A large discoidal mount or stud dating to the Anglo-Saxon period. The face of the disc is decorated with four equally spaced swirl motifs that create an expanding armed cross between. The cells were most likely once enamelled, but all traces have now disappeared. On the back is an integral singular attachment stud that is sub-square in cross section and projects from the centre of the disc.

See;  UKDFD 31453 & UKDFD 19550. Note also decorative treatment to later disc brooch as similar; UKDFD 33656.
Category: Early Medieval, Mounts
Category: Mounts
]]> Hair or Dress Pin https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/hair-or-dress-pin-59133.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:31:09 GMT Pins Hair or Dress Pin  
Description: An incomplete copper-alloy hair or dress pin. The pin has a plain spherical head with a small collar below. The surviving part of the shaft is of circular cross-section and parallel; the lower part with pointed end is missing. The recorder notes that the pin was found on an Anglo-Saxon occupation site that has produced sceattas and other pins.
Category: Early Medieval, Pins
Category: Pins
]]> Tweezers https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/cosmetic-implements/tweezers-59122.html Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:55:23 GMT Cosmetic implements Tweezers  
Description: A complete pair of decorated Anglo-Saxon tweezers. The tweezers have a looped top, flat, almost parallel-sided arms that slightly flare at the gripping end, and thinned, inwardly-curled blades. Each arm is decorated with matching groups of incised transverse grooves and punched dots. The looped top is decorated on each side with an incised saltire and punched dots. The decoration is reminiscent of that found on certain early Anglo-Saxon wrist clasps (e.g. UKDFD 10453 and UKDFD 48777), and the tweezers most likely date to a broadly similar period.

See also PAS: LON-1BA989.
Category: Early Medieval, Cosmetic implements
Category: Cosmetic implements
]]> Stirrup-Strap Mount https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/stirrup-fittings/stirrup-strap-mount-59121.html Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:50:02 GMT Stirrup fittings Stirrup-Strap Mount  
Description: A late Anglo-Saxon stirrup-strap mount of Williams Class B (unclassified type). The openwork design depicts two fantastic animals with serpentine bodies and heads with long ears, oval eyes and gaping mouths. The animals are inverted with respect to the mount and face each other immediately above the basal flange. At the mouth of each animal, there appears to be the head of a vulture-like bird, which is standing above and pecking it. The body of the bird is largely obscured, however, as it underlies that of the animal first described. The bodies of the animals are decorated with finely engraved wavy lines, which are inlaid with silver wire and/or niello. The mount has two attachment holes in the angled basal flange, both of which retain copper-alloy rivets. The apex of the mount is incomplete, but would originally have had a third rivet hole.
Category: Early Medieval, Stirrup fittings
Category: Stirrup fittings
]]> Hooked Tag https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/hooked-tags/hooked-tag-59091.html Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:24:18 GMT Hooked tags Hooked Tag  
Description:

An Anglo-Saxon hooked tag (dress hook) with two holes for attachment to a garment. The tag is sub-circular and has a central piercing surrounded by several, now abraided concentric bands of decoration.  The sharp, rearward-facing hook is in situ; however, the rim of one of the attachment holes is damaged.
Category: Early Medieval, Hooked tags
Category: Hooked tags
]]> Weight (?) https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/weights/weight-59047.html Fri, 28 Nov 2025 15:28:01 GMT Weights Weight (?)  
Description: A small discoidal copper-alloy object of Early Medieval date. One side of the object depicts a fantastic bird-like animal walking right with its head turned rearwards, gripping another element of the sinuous design (possibly its own tail) in its beak or jaws. The animal is highly stylised and contorted to fill the circular space it occupies. The other side of the object is plain. 'Biting' or 'gripping beast' motifs of the above type are characteristic of Viking Age art, the present object most likely dating between the 9th and 10th century AD.

The use of the object is uncertain. At a recorded weight of 0.65g, it would seem too light to be a pennyweight bullion weight in its own right. It is possible, however, that it was embedded in a larger lead weight to indicate the latter's purpose and to convey an impression of its official status. A number of such objects are known, some of which are embedded with genuine silver or bronze coins and some with decorated or plain metal insets of various shapes (e.g. see UKDFD 26555 and UKDFD 54448 respectively). Another possibility is that the object is a very small pressblech die (cf. UKDFD 39636). Both suggested uses, however, should be regarded as speculative, as no close parallel has been traced.
Category: Early Medieval, Weights
Category: Weights
]]> Circular Mount https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/mounts/circular-mount-58992.html Fri, 07 Nov 2025 15:06:09 GMT Mounts Circular Mount  
Description: A small flat circular mount of the Middle Anglo-Saxon period. The front of the mount is gilded and decorated ('chip-carved') with a triple-stranded Style II Animal interlace pattern. The back of the mount is plain and has the corroded remains of a central iron stud or rivet for attachment.

See also UKDFD 41563.
Category: Early Medieval, Mounts
Category: Mounts
]]> Strap End (Hooked) https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/strap-ends/strap-end-hooked-58958.html Sun, 26 Oct 2025 18:31:21 GMT Strap-ends Strap End (Hooked)  
Description: An Anglo-Saxon zoomorphic strap-end of Thomas Class B, Type 7 (see ref below). The projecting flared attachment end is a singular plate, and the two rivet holes for attachment onto the strap are damaged and incomplete. The central section has decorative bands of transverse grooves at each end, and the terminal is in the form of a very stylised animal head with a narrow elongated snout which has been formed into a rearward facing hook. Examples of this lesser known type from stratified archaeological contexts suggest that it was introduced about the end of the 8th or the beginning of the 9th century and remained popular into the 11th century. 
Category: Early Medieval, Strap-ends
Category: Strap-ends
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