Weight in the shape of a female figure
Roman, 43AD-410AD
Found with a metal detector at Upham, Hampshire
This object, in the form of a female bust, was possibly a weight for a steelyard or balance scales, or a mount. A weighty object, it is made of cast copper-alloy filled with lead, and has a large iron element protruding from the lead at the back. Two small heavily worn protrusions from the top of the head may once have formed horns, so perhaps this was a half-human, half-animal figure from Roman mythology. A scar at the top of the head might be the remains of an attachment loop.
It is not uncommon for Roman weights to be highly ornamental, and a number of examples are known where the weights were in the form of a bust of a Roman God. These might appear rather over-decorated for what were everyday objects, but some of the weights may have been made from damaged statues.
