Anyone know what this could be?

fisko

Hi, does anyone here know what this could be? My dad found it in a river in wales a few years ago, and brought it home. and we've no idea what made the design thing on it. It's made of like slate or something, and its's about the size of a dvd case. he reckons its not that old and some machine made the circles.
Any ideas?

Thanks

gflood

thats possible bronze age. You should bring it to the National meseum on Kildare street for analysis

Gnar

i think it looks more like a viking game board,or at least some thing with viking type decoration i.e circle and dot.you should get it to the museum or at least a photo with a scale.

Fletch123

It's very pretty! If you're in Dublin bring it to the museum (give them a call before hand to arrange this) or else email them your pics with some sort of scale (a ruler, a pencil etc) or give a university archaeology department a call about it, someone there might take an interest.

Keep us posted on what happens

boneless

fisko wrote: »

Hi, does anyone here know what this could be? My dad found it in a river in wales a few years ago, and brought it home. and we've no idea what made the design thing on it. It's made of like slate or something, and its's about the size of a dvd case. he reckons its not that old and some machine made the circles.
Any ideas?

Thanks

It does look too perfect in scale and form to be prehistoric but hey, you can never know. Have you any idea what part of Wales it was found in?

Fletch123

Also, if it was found in a river one would think that the carving would be more eroded as those 'cupmarks' look quite fresh. It reminds me of a modern version of a Rathdown slab pattern.

No harm in forwarding a photograph to the museum, or to have a google to see if there are any archaeologists local to where it was found in Wales.

Llambed

Hi,
what part of Wales was it found in? You said you're dad brought it home. Am I right to presume by home you mean Ireland?
As it was found in Wales you should probably contact The National Museum Wales, Cardiff. In cases such as this one they operate under the the Portable Antiquities Scheme (http://www.finds.org.uk/).
If you get in contact with Mark Lodwick he would be able to give you some information, as the Portable Antiquities Finds Co-ordinator for Wales. Hes based in the National Museum Wales, Cardiff and his contact details are on the museums website. http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/

Lumi

You're probably safer handing it in to the National Museum in Kildare Street - ask for Raghnall O Floinn

As it doesn't constitute Treasure you aren't under any obligation to report it under the PAS in the UK, however, unfortunately, if your Dad brought it home to Ireland from Wales, it was illegally exported as all archaeological objects found in the UK that are more than 50 years old need an export licence.

Hope that helps

Llambed

hi Fionagus,
I find your choice of words in your post pretty strange to be honest. Why do you say that the OP would be 'safer' handing it in to the National Museum in Kildare Street exactly? Im of the opinion that if the OP was to bring it to either National Museum either in Cardiff or Dublin I think that their search for information would bare fruit (maybe to varying degrees)

The reason I mentioned the PAS was that this is the scheme that applies to treasure. Treasure being defined in part, under the Treasure Act, as: Any object, whatever it is made of, that is found in the same place as, or had previously been together with, another object that is Treasure. http://www.finds.org.uk/treasure/treasure_summary.php
One email to the The National Museum Wales, Cardiff with a picture and some details about the find and you'd be able to verify weather this object was considered treasure i.e. if other objects that are treasure were found within the same area.

Despite the lack of an obligation to report the finding of this object(which at this stage the OP wouldnt be entirely certain of) would you not consider it the correct thing to do to contact the National Museum of the country in which it was find. By all means bring it to the National Museum in Kildare St and the information one would recieve would no doubt be very helpful. I did like the suggestion from a previous poster about finding a local archaeologist working within the area in which the object was found.

Millucc

I have to agree with Llambed out of professional courtesy. If the situation was reversed there would be baying hounds screaming about moving antiquities out of this jurisdiction.

Llambed, why don't you email Mark Lodwick and give him the url of this thread?

Having said all that, I reckon its a relatively modern piece, possibly 19th century antiquarian fantasy scribbles on a roof slate.

Lumi

Hi Llambed,
I see what you mean - sorry, I was a little pre-occupied when posting and it didn't come across the way I meant it to.
You are right of course and I most certainly agree that the object deserves to be looked at by a local archaeologist who is familiar with the area.
I just meant that seeing as it most probably was exported illegally (however innocently), they should take it to the NMI, confess all, and allow them to deal with the National Museum in Cardiff because I know that the Welsh authorities have taken a dim view of such activities in the past.
The PAS would of course be the best recourse if they were living in Wales nor would they have any obligation to report it to the authorities there but as I said, if its now in Ireland then thats a different matter...

Llambed

hi all,
I think the main point I was trying to make was that if the OP wants to learn more about this object then he/she should deal with the relative people in the country of origin of this object.
It just seems the most logical thing to do really. The first thing the National Museum of either Wales or Ireland is gonna ask a person when they bring in an object is where it was found. End of the day the OP wanted information on the object so its about going to the right source. You'd probably end up at the same point of conclusion going about getting this info in different ways and I just feel you might get there quicker by heading straight for the National Museum Wales given the objects origin. And thats leaving aside how and why the object left the UK....:D


That said...Fionagus do you not think that this object (assuming now that it is in Wales) may come under the PAS? How can you assume that it is not legally considered treasure without first finding out if the location within which it was found contained material classed as treasure?

fisko

Hi everyone, First of all it was found near Llanberis in snowdonia, second of all, can we get in trouble for taking the thing? My dad only brought it home because it looked interesting, not because he thought it was treasure. We would have no problem at all sending it to the museum in wales or kildare st, but don't want to get in trouble for it! :eek:

Millucc

No, you won't get in any trouble.

If it was a gold armlet and you were trying to flog it at Christies, then maybe

As I said before, I don't think its that old. Best thing to do is email the Welsh PAS or Welsh Museum with the pic(Stick a ruler in beside it to show scale) and as many details of the findspot as your dad can remember. Offer to return it should they want it.

Chances are they'll tell you to keep it.

Doozie

Fletch123 wrote: »

It's very pretty! If you're in Dublin bring it to the museum (give them a call before hand to arrange this) or else email them your pics with some sort of scale (a ruler, a pencil etc) or give a university archaeology department a call about it, someone there might take an interest.

Keep us posted on what happens

I have seen almost identical markings on bone from 12/13th century gaming pieces from Woodquay (Viking and High Medieval Dublin excavations).
very nice

shipwreck

Kildare st will be delighted to have a look at this! Ask for the Duty officer at the front desk ( not Raghnall..he works in Collins Barracks!) The Duty officer will come down and have a look and is the best person to provide further advise....Dont worry you wont be in trouble!!!!

weebelly

Chances are your Dad is right. The circles look machine made with some sort of central drill bit. Its broken at one end and suffered some weather damage across additional circles at the other end, suggesting it isn't that recent though, even a stream would take a while to create that pattern of wear. It could well be one hundred years old, but not much more.

robinrobin

It looks modern to me as the circles are to perfect to not have been mede by a machine.

slowburner

What's making me think of crop circles?:p