Roman luggage tag...

[Caballo]

Found in the City of London- centre filled with wax and then inscribed....



http://walbrookdiscovery.files.wordpress...cn0585.jpg (photo super sizeable to look at it in detail if you open it in a new tag)

More finds from the Wallbrook (excellent site for preserving organic matter) here and near the site of the temple of Mithras. Some nice bone gaming finds as well including a lovely blue glass gaming bead.

http://walbrookdiscovery.wordpress.com/

And many thanks to the people at Museum of London Archaeology for digging through the cold , wet, and snowy weather!

[scotti73]

Morning Caballo nice piece was there any means of attachment to an item discovered

[Robert]

Looks like a plant tag, to remember where I sowed the oregano and where the mint.

[Caballo]

No attachment that i know of. Like the plant tag idea. Its got to be reusable, so I was wondering whether it was attached to an amphora or jar for sale or import / export?

[Kegluneq]

Was this found in context with any other artefacts? Other than the OP's suggestion I can't think of any other identification for it. It obviously couldn't be exposed to outside weather for extended periods (sorry Robert) but the triangular shape is rather odd.

Edit: I quite like the amphora/jar suggestion; although these could be stamped at point of origin, if they were reused to transport other commodities it would be confusing to keep relabelling the containers themselves. A tag around a handle seems like a logical alternative, although I still have doubts about the durability of a wax label over long travel distances...

[Robert]

That's OK, it was just a suggestion that came to mind and perhaps an experiment could show if such a tag could survive the planting season. Once the plants have grown, it would be easy to see what they were and the tag could be removed from the plantbed. Wax is rainproof

[Epictetus]

Didn't scrolls have labels of a similar shape sometimes? Could this have been used as an accounting or bookkeeping label of some sort that would frequently change - you know, bills to be paid, expected shipments, or something similar?

Edit:


Is that reddish leaf-shaped object at the end of this scroll a label? A wax-tablet style label could easily move to different scrolls or be re-written as needed.

[Kegluneq]

That's OK, it was just a suggestion that came to mind and perhaps an experiment could show if such a tag could survive the planting season. Once the plants have grown, it would be easy to see what they were and the tag could be removed from the plantbed. Wax is rainproof

Heh, fair point. I'd worry more about general scuffing and the like, but the main reason I'd disagree is that the spike isn't nearly long enough to plant in soil. I'd love to know if they did have a similar system though!

[PhilusEstilius]

There appears to be a tiny hole through the wood at the pointed end does that not tell us anything.

[Caballo]

There is- and also if you look carefully ridges on the top and bottom edge. I'd assumed that the hole held a leather thong for attaching to .....whatever!

[Robert]

It's a very small hole for a tong, totaly unpractical. Perhaps a hole for a small stick or rivit?