Silchester objects in focus: Part 2

With Hampshire Cultural Trust Conservator, Claire Woodhead

As conservation cleaning on the current batch of Silchester objects continues,
join me for another timelapse trip down the microscope, discovering the long-hidden surface of a Roman hairpin from the bathhouse site.

UPDATE: Since this article was published on Saturday 30 May new information has come to light that the object is not a hairpin at all.  The finds specialist has now looked at the object and is now able to see that it is in fact a long handled toilet spoon.  These sorts of items often form part of a toiletry set with other implements such as tweezers – they are quite often found at Roman sites.

It’s a fantastic demonstration of why investigative cleaning is so important – to aid interpretation, so that finds can be properly recorded.

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