...some thing that has eluded me in nearly 14 years of detecting, snake buckles actually date right back to the Romano British period, these type probably were based on a serpent type theme, which changed through the ages, to the snake theme. Snake buckles were first seen in portraits in 1575. There are a few different types, one with a Ducks Head and I believe a Dolphin head is another.
CC Hunter...when you say...... the vast majority of these types of buckles never graced uniformed Americans nor encountered the hail of shot or shell. Are you saying they were not used during the Civil War, or just not found at battle sites. It would seem strange as these buckles were primary sword belt fittings, or was there a better buckle.
Curious that's all
SS
Absolutly,I actually just caught that before I read this reply....thank you my friend,as you know I am not that great getting my point across!Kuger,
There is a point we surely must clarify, lest the pendulum of insight swings too far in the opposite direction.
Fact is the wording should be "some" were used in a non-military way. Generalization of particular usage can lead us down the wrong path on either end.
CC Hunter
Yes thank you.... I agree you have to have context when dating any item which has a broad time span, I see this a lot on this site. Now if I just find one of the bloody thingsSilver Searcher,
Curiosity is most welcome here, as that is the spark that drives further learning and knowledge.
The fact is that the American Civil War only encompassed 4 shorts years of our history, and then primarily in the South Eastern portion of the United States where Confederates forces are concerned. These serpent and snake buckles have seen a very long period of use, as you even pointed out, dating back centuries. Furthermore the evidence from excavated examples spans the globe, from Europe to North America, Australia, New Zealand, and without doubt countless points in between.
I have even read references to these types of buckles being worn by Canadian law enforcement officers into the early 20th Century. The point I hope to clarify is, that any particular recovered snake buckle, must be accounted for in context of area and other supporting finds, as well as construction style and design, rather than assigning a stereotypical assumption of usage.
On occasion, these snake buckles have been found, such as the example in Ironman's collection, in areas of America dating from a time period before there were Confederate States. Additionally from photo images and paintings of the 1850's through 1870's, we may note the popularity of these snake buckles in Australia and New Zealand, where they are seen to be worn by gentlemen that are not adorned in military fashion.
CC Hunter
