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Comb from Sutton Courtenay

Comb from Sutton Courtenay
 This comb (AN1923.845) was found in one of the buildings (House 9) that was excavated at Sutton Courtenay in Oxfordshire by Edward Thurlow Leeds.
The picture show this house as it was being excavated. We can see how far under the ground these buildings were buried.
Photograph of House 9 under excavation
Bone thread picker (AN1923.844)
 There were also other objects found in this house, including:
  • bone spindle whorl
  • part of another comb
  • bone thread picker (see picture) - used for beating down threads when weaving
  • iron chisel
  • iron spokeshave blade (see picture) - used for shaping curved edges when making wooden objects
Iron spokeshave blade (AN1923.848)
Iron hooping fragments (AN1923.850)
  • an iron knife
  • animal bones
  • pieces of iron hooping (see picture) - probably used to hold together a bucket or barrel
  • an iron nail (see picture)
  • fragments of pottery
Iron nail (AN1968.1460)

What do these objects tell us about this house?

It seems a range of activities were being done in this house: spinning, weaving and woodworking. There may also have been a bucket used to hold water. The inhabitants obviously cared for their appearance since there were two combs in the building!

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