Hammer-Shaped Hair or Votive Pin
The illustration of this find was sent In by Oliver Jackson. It is in the shape of a hammer, with a bend towards the end of the shaft. The finder wondered if it could be a brooch or a medieval hanger.
Photo: Kent CC, CC By SA 2.0
There is a very similar item on the PAS database (KENT-122545), which has been identified as a hammer-shaped hair or votive pin, likely to be Roman and circa 4th century in date. During the Roman period a very wide range of votive items were made; they could be consigned to the soil or placed on altars as offerings in temples. These things used to be rare but like many other antiquities their rarity has been diluted as more and more examples have been unearthed by detectorists.
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