Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

This fine toilet spoon or ligular, was found in 1983 during excavations undertaken by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit within the town centre, just off Cannon Street, near the Roman Painted House. (location accurate to the nearest 10m based on available information).

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Roman - 201 AD? to 399 AD?)

Associated Finds

• SPOON (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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Taken from source:

This fine toilet spoon or ligular, was found in 1983 during excavations within the town centre, just off Cannon Street, near the Roman Painted House. It was discovered in a late Roman demolition deposit overlying the clay floor and probably relates to a timber building which once stood on the site. The object is finely made from silver and is 7cm long. It consists of a small oval spoon separated from a long 'barley-sugar' twisted shaft by a small bead. At the base of the shaft there is a small spherical pommel which is clasped in a well-shaped human hand. The base of the hand has a bead and spool decorative finish giving way to a square shank that is clearly fitted into a handle of some sort. Ligulae with long or oval shaped spoon ends are generally recognised as being used for the extraction of cosmetics, salves or ointments from small flasks or pots. Some examples have been found with medical instruments, but most appear to have belonged to toilet sets. The fine highly decorative finish of this example, suggests that it may well have formed part of a Roman lady’s toilet set, dating probably to the third or fourth centuries AD. (1)

<1> Council for Kentish Archaeology, 1987, Kent Archaeological Review;Roman Silver Toilet Spoon, Dover, Vol. 89 (Article in serial). SKE31758.

Sources and further reading

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