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Further Details on the Roman Figure with a Circular Socket from West Keal, Lincolnshire*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 November 2025

Lisa Mary Brundle Open the ORCID record for Lisa Mary Brundle [Opens in a new window]
Lisa Mary Brundle*
Affiliation:
Portable Antiquities Scheme, Lincolnshire County Council
*
lisa.brundle@lincolnshire.gov.uk
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Abstract

A cast copper-alloy male figurine with a circular socket projecting from its head was discovered by a metal-detectorist in West Keal, Lincolnshire, and recorded via the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) before inclusion in Britannia’s 2020 roundup. Conservation by the finder revealed further decorative details, particularly on the tunic. This contribution examines these embellishments, their stylistic affinities and implications for dating. The identification of the figure as a servant opens discussion on the luxurious domestic settings of Roman Lincolnshire and high-status sites.

Keywords

malefigurineLincolnshiretunicorbiculiclaviicandlestickPortable Antiquities Scheme

Information

Type
Shorter Contributions
Information
Britannia , First View , pp. 1 - 11
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies.

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Footnotes

*

This paper was presented at the Roman Finds Group conference held at the University of Nottingham in 2023. I am grateful to the participants for their valuable comments, especially Martin Henig. I would also like to thank Kevin Leahy (Portable Antiquities Scheme) for drawing my attention to the Dragonby figurine; Rose Nicholson (North Lincolnshire Museums) for granting access to the Dragonby figurine; Avril Goulding and Rod Trevaskus (PAS volunteers) for their assistance with the imagery; and the finder, Simon Grant, for reporting the discovery, twice.

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