An incomplete copper-alloy pipe tamper dating to 1600-1800. On the base there are the initials in low-relief ‘HT’. The base would be used for tamping down the tobacco in the bowl of a pipe and crushing the ash together to aid relighting. The pick at the other end would be used to clear debris from the bowl.
Pipe tamper
Photo: Oxfordshire County Council CC By SA2.0
Object type: Pipe tamper
Period: Medieval
Primary material: Copper alloy
Date found: 19/10/2021
Location: Shilton, West Oxfordshire