Executive Summary: W Field Black Works Iron Amulet

• ​Context & Horizon: Mid-4th-century W Field "Black Works" iron assemblage, reflecting Germanic auxiliary forces operating during the twilight of the Western Roman Empire and its severe political crises.

• ​Typology & Morphology: Purpose-built, flat, square-sectioned apotropaic pendant featuring a complete rounded neck tang with a clean punch-through suspension hole.

• ​Dimensions & Weight: Length: 148 mm | Width: 36 mm tapering to 20 mm at the square lower tip | Mass: 49.2 grams.

• ​Artistic & Cultural Markers: 14 surviving symmetrical ring-and-dot punched motifs mirroring the hybrid artistic traditions found in contemporary Romano-Germanic buckle plates

Mid-4th Century Germanic Auxiliary Iron Amulet Pendant | W Field Black Works Frontier Artifact, 148mm, 49.2g

​Description:

Offered for serious collectors and independent research archives: an exceptional, museum-grade mid-4th-century iron amulet recovered directly from the W Field "Black Works" frontier context.

​Dating to the violent twilight and administrative restructuring of the Western Roman Empire, this piece exemplifies the material culture of Germanic auxiliary troops embedded within Roman military networks. Structural analysis confirms it was never a functional weapon or knife: its edges are entirely square-sectioned and blunt, and it features an integrated, rounded neck tang with a clean, punch-through suspension hole designed for hanging.

​Key Features:

• ​Dimensions: 148 mm length; 36 mm shoulder width tapering to 20 mm at the square lower tip.

• ​Weight: Solid 49.2 grams of professionally conserved and micro-waxed ancient iron.

• ​Decoration: Features 14 surviving symmetrical ring-and-dot punched motifs, showcasing traditional Germanic apotropaic symbolism that mirrors contemporary Romano-Germanic auxiliary buckle plates.

• ​Provenance: Direct from independent W Field archaeological research, associated with high-stress fourth-century military deposition zones.

​Provenance: Northern Cambridgeshire Fen-Edge Horizon (W Field & surrounding precinct), UK. Georeference: 52°30'17.92"N 0°16'17.46"W

​Legal Compliance & Provenance Disclaimers

• ​Land Status: Recovered with full landowner consent during a controlled surface scrape on private land in Northern Cambridgeshire.

• ​Legal Status: Single base-metal (wrought iron) artifact; does not fall under the statutory reporting requirements of the UK Treasure Act 1996. Voluntary PAS recording is currently suspended due to regional FLO processing backlogs.

• ​Archive Reference: Full grid coordinates, photographic records, and stratigraphic context are permanently logged in the seller's private field register.

​Further Reading Reference / Bibliography

• ​Manning, W. H. (1985). Catalogue of the Romano-British Iron Tools, Fittings and Weapons in the British Museum. British Museum Publications.

• ​Rees, S. E. (1979). Agricultural Implements in Prehistoric and Roman Britain. BAR British Series 69.

• ​Applebaum, S. (1972). Roman Britain. In H. P. R. Finberg (Ed.), The Agrarian History of England and Wales, Vol. I.II. Cambridge University Press.

General Reference material and further reading: 

Where possible ancient artifacts may be referenced to similar material observed in the following publications within my collection:

• British Artefacts Vol.1, 2 and 3: Brett Hammond [Greenlight Publishing 2010]:

• Celtic & Roman Artefacts: Nigel Mills [Greenlight Publishing 2007]:

• SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome: Mary Beard [Profile Books 2015]:

• 50 Bronze Age Artefacts: Portable Antiquities Scheme: Dot Boughton [Amberley Publishing 2021]:

• Pottery in Britain 4000BC to AD 1900: Lloyd Laing [Greenlight Publishing 2003]:

• British Iron Age Coins In The British Museum: Richard Hobbs [British Museum 1996]:

• Swords of The Viking Age: Ian Peirce: [The Boydell Press 2003]:

• Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society Volume 85: [Cambridge University Press 2019].

• Mesolithic Europe: Geoff Bailey / Penny Spikins [Cambridge University Press 2008]

• Viking Art: James Graham-Campbell: [Thames & Hudson, London 2018]

• Roman Coins Vol. 1, 2 & 3: David R Sear: [Spink London 2000]:

• The Roman Cavalry: Karen R. Dixon: [B. . Batsford 1997]:

• Rome’s Saxon Shore: Coastal Defenses of Roman Britain AD 250 – 500: Nic Fields [Osprey Publishing 2006]:

• Amulets of Ancient Egypt: Carol Andrews: [University of Texas Press / British Museum Press 1994]:

The Uniforms of the Roman World: Military dress, weapons, artillery, ships, siege engines and fortifications: Kevin F. Killey: [Anness Publishing 2017]:

Where possible finger rings may be referenced to similar material observed in the following publications within my collection:

• Victorian and Albert Museum CATALOGUE OF FINGER RINGS 1930: C.C.Oman [Anglia Publishing. 1991 – Now out of print]:

• Finger Rings: Diana Scarisbrick / Martin Henig: [Ashmolean Museum Oxford. 2003]:

• Ancient Rings An Illustrated Collectors Guide: T. N. Polio: [McFarland & Co Inc. 2018:

• 1000 Rings: Inspiring Adornments of the Hand: Le Van, Marthe; Ebendorf, Robert [W: Lark Books 2004]:

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