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Someone has been researching two practically identical objects found by workmen under the floorboards of an old house in Oxfordshire. She writes that one of the objects had Manchester written across one side and the material that they were made from appeared to be a bit like asbestos and one was scorched.
See her photos at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/5853054.
She posted an appeal for identification on ‘Britarch’ – the e-mail discussion list for British Archaeology hosted by the Council for British Archaeology (http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/britarch.html) and received several suggestions including kiln spacers, fire ventilators and the following from Catherine Stallybrass:
‘They remind me of the fire-lighters my grandmother used to use. These were
of some porous but fire-proof material (some were, I think, brick but not
all) which were soaked in paraffin. When she was lighting the fire one or two
were placed among the kindling to get the fire going. When the ashes were
raked out, the firelighters were retrieved and put back in the tin of paraffin
that always stood by the fireplace.’
Could this be the solution to mystery object no. 2?!

It looks a bit like an ocarina, as the holes appear to be finger sized and positioned to be held by a human hand. Perhaps you blow in the central part and use your fingers to block or open the side holes and produce different sounds. Bob Cockcroft.

A decorative cover for a small scented candle. Similar things used in North Africa today. Anon, Canterbury Christ Church University.

Could be used for holding a dried flower display or other like objects on long stems.Dave Hodgson, New Romney.

And thank you to Jacqueline Baric for these ideas:
A child’s toy? A rattle filled with some stones, perhaps with a wooden handle and then laced on with leather straps.
A modern garlic keeper, part of a kitchen assemblage.
Or maybe it sat or was carried in a dress pocket, filled with herbs to perfume the air, a medieval air freshener.
Some sort of candle/wax holder...

Debbie Goacher has found a parallel on the Surrey Portable Antiquities Scheme website where it is described as a child's rattle or possibly a pomander. LINK

Whereas Beverly sent us these ideas:
It could be a belt buckle. If laced properly you could tighten and loosen it with ease. It could also be used as a belt is sometimes used.
It could also be a hair bob. Hair is separated and pulled through the different holes. It would look very pretty.
I cannot tell if it was once smooth and beautiful or always rough.
It could also be a decorative water spout.

Any other ideas? please let us know

Thanks for all your responses for our first
mystery object!

I really enjoyed opening up the emails. Most of you think it’s a food related thing and here are your ideas:

• Steamer used on a stove (note blackening on outside) James Finney, Folkestone
• Heated dips tray with hot coals/stones in center Carol Rurikson, USA
• Dip/nibbles platter Charles, USA and Marta
• For holding different kinds of olive oil, Marta

We especially liked this one from Mike – putting his forensic skills to good use!:

• Each of the two inner rings has a sharp edged lip. This has the appearance of somewhere for a lid to rest.
So hot food would be placed in the middle, covered with a slight domed lid, more hot food in the next ring and covered with a more pronounced domed lid.
Then the first course placed in the outer ring and placed on the table.
The diners then eat from the outer ring, lift off the bigger lid and eat from the next ring, then lift off the final lid and eat from the centre.
Food kept warm by the lid, Mike Nugent, Metropolitan Police, England

And here are some other ideas:

• Putting spheres in the center trough, then placing a disc on top ever so slightly smaller than the outer lip and then it could be used as a Lazy Susan – a turntable, Carol Stevenson, USA
• Coin counting/sorting bowl, seed sorting bowl, bottom of a water clock, Roman carnival ring toss game target, Erik Rurikson, USA
• Lid for a large jar, Sharon Anderson, England
• Candle holder, Marta

I can tell you that there are other examples of this kind of object (found in post-medieval contexts) which some ceramics specialists have identified as chicken feeders. Presumably a way of controlling what exactly/how much your chickens consumed with the grain being fed down from some kind of attachment above?

We Canterbury archaeologists do like the human food serving theories though! Maybe our object was used as a nibbles/dips platter at Roman parties – and just happens to resemble something invented for chickens centuries later!

The wonders of interpretation…