Three tined fishing spear (leister) head; tines have rectangular section with flattened edges (i.e. octagonal section). Pointed tips are fitted with barbs, which point back down along tine shank; the two outside tines have barbs fitted on one side, the central tine has its barb fitted on the opposite side. The socket probably opened to the same side as the central barb. The leister appears to have been socketed rather than tanged but this is not preserved. The rest appears to have been broken off, and as the shank is very narrow here this may have occurred in use. The object is constructed by welding a number of metal strips together but the full sequence is obscured by severe corrosion in some areas. Possibly the socket and shank extended to form the spine of the central tine to which a u-shaped section forming the other tine was added. Then the central tine was reinforced by the addition of another strip of metal which was folded back to make the barb. This strip has an obvious rounded attachment point. Another strip was added to reinforce one side tine but the opposite tine is poorly preserved with its barb broken off where it divided from the tine shank. There are areas of “original surface” preserved on two of the three tines with a very thin red show deeply etched forging structure. One side tine is only attached by a thin strip of metal above –bend and as it is ben toward the central tine the corrosion here may be associated with metal stress.

Kirkpatrick-Juxta, DUMFRIESSHIRE

Annandale, Beattock, near Stidriggs Farm.

MEDIAEVAL

DUMFM:1989.2.18

Archaeology