Fans Roman Site - Day 4 - LIMOGES Alter Cross Mount!!!!!!!!

[CRUSADER]

Fan's Roman Site - Day 4 - LIMOGES Alter Cross Mount!!!!!!!!

Firstly thanks to Land-Mag for the lift to his dogs name sake site.
We had a fairly short window again & to our surprise they have already drilled in the oilseed rape on this site. So I just about finished in 2 hours 45 minutes the area between Fan's Roman domestic Site & the Metal Working area. This might be our last chance on here, but if so I only have 1 edge of the site to complete next year.

21 Roman Coins
Military 4th C Buckle (horse head type) - Pretty scarce even broken like this one
Another Roman Snake Head Bracelet piece
Frag of Roman Bracelet
0 buttons

I can't quite believe what I found at this very remote site, although we do believe it's not that far off an ancient route.
I had a pretty big coke can sounding signal & I quickly flipped over a load of dirt & lieing face down was a large quatrefoil object. I thought 2 things at once - 'I've never seen a Roman Object like it & I hope it has a nice design on the other side'. As soon as I flipped it over I realised it's not Roman & its a mount for a;
13th C champlevé altar cross- The design depictes a winged, haloed ox emerging from the clouds, a symbolic representation of Saint Luke.
It was once enamelled & a very rare find, in fact I can't find an exact match to this piece on any UK database or the web in general. (although I would think France would have one?)
It was imported from Limoges France & only the wealth of the Church could afford them. To think that it sat on an alter about 800 years ago & all those people sat & looked at it, & now I have found it in the middle of no-where!

 

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[Ahab8]

That altar piece is an incredible find and as you said just thinking of the history is pretty amazing. How many people were in front of that? Great recovery! Your button comment made me laugh. I found 12 big Dandys at a colonial site yesterday. Funny how it works

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

Super finds there !! Always something new to me in your findings, much to know about history of metal type items, good information here !

 

[mangum]

The altar piece is fantastic! What a great piece of history!

 

[antique man]

Nice finds! Your posts are always awesome!

 

[mihmar79]

gj! :thumbup

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[mickael]

the alter piece is wild ... I can't quite make it out though
looks like an angle winged horse?

 

[Westfront]

Congrats on the altar cross and ID! May some of our french members can chime in too, but not many european hunters are still posting... The horse head buckle has a beautiful patina! Great find!

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

Like many of your finds, I know nothing about this one either, But do appreciate that you explain them well to those of us less knowledgeable. I do know when your excited about a piece it's a good one.

Yeah zero buttons, that is a rare day indeed. I venture to say that the site is older than most button types ? Using the brooches, and / or string ?

 

[landmagnet]

What a great hunt. The Limoges piece is a very important find. On an iron age and roman site? As we discussed, could be from the very old track used by romans right through to the 13th century .

 

[Army of 1]

Great recoveries again Cru , another awesome site ..cheers Mick

 

[CRUSADER]

the alter piece is wild ... I can't quite make it out though
looks like an angle winged horse?

When I first found it, I commented to Land-Mag that it looked like a horse head, but clearly those 13th C French people meant different. However, the language of pictology (made up word, I think), was universal in the early Medieval period, as most could not read or write. Therefore most European's realised its true meaning.

 

[CRUSADER]

What a great hunt. The Limoges piece is a very important find. On an iron age and roman site? As we discussed, could be from the very old track used by romans right through to the 13th century .

Happy Days.....

 

[CRUSADER]

Like many of your finds, I know nothing about this one either, But do appreciate that you explain them well to those of us less knowledgeable. I do know when your excited about a piece it's a good one.

Yeah zero buttons, that is a rare day indeed. I venture to say that the site is older than most button types ? Using the brooches, and / or string ?

Yes, this is remote enough to have very few 'modern' buttons.

 

[dirtlooter]

wow, and wow again, that is really marvelous, the significance of what it had represented at the time. so did you smile or dance a jig? no matter, I know you were very excited and rightly so.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

What I'd like to know is ... how did something as beautiful as this, go from being in a church to ending up in a field in the middle of nowhere!?
That's a beautiful piece Cru and deserves to be displayed in a glass case in my office!

Just kidding mate!
Dave

And you got to the site without the help of your Dad!

 

[CRUSADER]

wow, and wow again, that is really marvelous, the significance of what it had represented at the time. so did you smile or dance a jig? no matter, I know you were very excited and rightly so.

I was on my own at the time of the find, Land-Mag was scouting out of sight. I realised what it was likely to be & was somewhat stunned. This is another massive hole in the collection that I thought was near impossible to fill.

 

[Garrett424]

Nice rare and unique find.

 

[CASPER-2]

 

[Steve in PA]

That is a really cool relic and will look great in the display case!