Antler Roundel Pendants from Britain and the North-Western Roman Provinces

Abstract

Pendants are frequent finds on sites of the Roman period. 'Daily life was deeply penetrated, perhaps dominated, by supernatural considerations ... in consequence talismans are common'. They were used for a variety of purposes; not only individuals, but houses, walls and even towns could be protected by them. This short paper concentrates on one particular type of pendant, manufactured from the crown or burr of red deer antler which is found predominantly on sites in the North-western provinces of the Empire. Whilst a small number of these pendants have received limited attention, discussion has centred primarily on the presence of a phallus as a decorative motif (Types 4-7 below) and the lesser known, but more common, undecorated forms (Types 1-3 below) have been relatively ignored.2 This paper concentrates on material from the provinces of Britain, the Gauls and Germanies, where the author has had the opportunity to study at first hand. It is supplemented by the writer's more limited field study in other areas (e.g. Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria), together with material from published sources. Although the catalogue does not attempt to be a comprehensive survey of all material from the North-western provinces, the 198 examples listed demonstrate the popularity of these types of pendant during the Roman period. It is hoped that by drawing attention to the less easily recognisable forms (e.g. Type I below), the true importance of this class of object will become more widely known. References to catalogue numbers appear in bold in the text. Published references are not generally quoted in the text, but will be found in the relevant catalogue entry.