BBC Focus Magazine

[Pandora]

Any ideas what it could be folks?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8572740.stm

[M Paul Lloyd]

Well, my first thought was 'a primitive clock', but that would just be silly wouldn't it?

Perhaps it was some sort of portable sundial/astrolabe dressed up as decorative object?

Floundering now, but it doses put me in mind of the Antikythera mechanism but on a much smaller scale.

[Jamie]

Maybe it was just a decorative object to start with ?

[M Paul Lloyd]

I am possibly reading too much into it but it looks a bit big and bulky to be a purely decorative piece, at least when comparing it with things like the buckle that was found, they did like their finery it seems.

[Pandora]

Whatever it is, someone has taken a lot of trouble with it. I hate mysteries...

[M Paul Lloyd]

Oh no, you should revel in them Pandora, after all the truth might actually prove quite boring.

[nemisis39]

Seen this before somewhere, asking the exact same question can't remember where though sorry. I thought it looked like some sort of locking mechanisam for a door or some such thing, could be way off the beam though

[paulcox]

perhaps its a smaller version of the Nebra Shield or an astronomical device that you view threw to pick out a certain star cluster i haven't checked it out but there are 3 stars in a row that looks similar to Orion's Belt. Paul Cox. Bournemouth.

[Shadowwolf]

I dunno, seems a bit limited and of little point to be picking out a few stars that one can just as easily spot unaided. Don't think that Orion's Belt would have held much significance either and whilst I realise that I don't have it to hand, from the pics I doubt you could use this to pick out the belt stars at all.

I saw elsewhere some speculation that it was a form of lid on a leather bag and the holes were for some leather tongs to keep it closed.

[Healerman]

Some grave goods were purely ceremonial, such as a sword made especially to bury with an important warrior or chieftain.

Silver on copper isn't very strong, but backed by wood and leather makes me think of a shield boss - maybe a ceremonial one

[Shadowwolf]

I think shield boss had been largely ruled out, think it was due to a lack of shield that should have been present had the wood on the boss survived.

Some grave goods were purely ceremonial, such as a sword made especially to bury with an important warrior or chieftain.

True, many was the sword in these parts that was made solely for ritually tossing in the river.