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 From Roberto

31st July 07

Found in Algeria.

The "bungs" for amphorae ??

 




 

From Linda

1st August 07

 

I found a reference here to bungs.

Hesnard A & Gianfrotta P.A., 1989, Les bouchons d'amphore en pouzzolane. in: Amphores romaines et histoire economique: 393-441. (Rome)

 

 

From Graham

8th Jan07

 

The was found while dredging the river behind Waltham Abbey in the 1970s.

 

 

I bought it a while ago and it came with a letter stating where found and possible uses etc, the letter is genuinely old and I have been in touch with the British Museum and they haven`t a clue what it is?

 

 





 

The size is about 6cm X 6cm X 6cm.

 

 

Terracotta: I can`t tell if it`s been glazed as it`s well worn. The holes go straight through. There is a groove pattern all over the object and the grooves are full of deposits from age. It also may have been painted with a white coating as there is some remaining.

 

 

 



 

From John

11th January 08

It appears to be a "slide bead" used instead  of a knot in a length of rope or twine, such as to secure a load of cargo  when  tying and re-tying is impractical.

 

 From David

2nd March 08

 

This bronze Chinese piece is 135mm x 100mm x 4mm

What is it and can anyone read the inscription?

Or alternatively tell me what type of inscription it might be.

 

 




 

From Phil

 

5th March 08

 

Looks to me like this might be a weight. Far, far, far from my area, so that's as good as it gets from me on this, but you might see if you can produce something from that...

 

 From Kenneth

10th March

 

The writing is a fairly stylised form of traditional script, half the characters couldn't be made out by my wife. A Chinese from the Peoples Republic would have little chance as they read a modern simplified script.

 

There were characters for 'fly' 'mirror' & 'star' but without knowing the full phrase that was of little use.

 

My wife suggest it may be some auspicious phrase, but her first question, like me, was "What is this meant to be? When does it date from? Where did they get it from?"

 

Kind of reached a dead end there. There was a website run by Chinese who attempt to translate unusual or archaic character that are sent to them which my wife showed me. If the person involved can communicate with those folk then I could get the web address off her...but I am not inclined personally to pursue this enigma when there is not great assurance of any antiquity in the first place.

 

 


From Paul

20th March 08

 

I unearthed this statue in the early 1970s on family property in an isolated mesquite pasture in the northwest quadrant of Brown County, Texas (the county is about 100 miles west of the midpoint of a north-south line from Fort Worth to Austin).

 

 

Composed of dense, porous volcanic rock that I think is scoria, it is 29 inches tall and weighs 98 pounds (dead weight!).

 

 

I have made inquiries over the years, with limited and generally unsuccessful results.

 

 

My personal theory is that it may have been among the cargo on an overland wagon coming up from San Antonio, the Gulf Coast or Mexico on one of the early pioneer trail feeders through Brown County. Perhaps because of wagonwheel or axle damage, loss of a draft animal or even an attack by Indians or bandits, it was jettisoned and concealed to be retrieved at a later date.

 

 

I have considered the possibility that it is a work by a modern sculptor or a school project of some kind, but this logic is always followed by the same question: Why would it be buried on a remote Central Texas prairie, hundreds of yards from the nearest road, with no remnants of modern or historic structures or other signs of habitation nearby?

 

 

If anyone in this field of expertise is familiar with this type of object, I would appreciate any assistance in solving this mystery, both for my personal satisfaction and for any historical implications for Brown County and the State of Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well.............

Like the Moai figures on Easter Island.

 

But what on earth was it doing here??!!!

 



From Mark

27th March 08

 

I would very much appreciate if this was placed in the Mystery section, some of the script is Sabeen or possibly Pheonecian, however I still have not found a person who can set it at any particular age.

 

 

The British Museum suggests  Bronze Age, but did not specify the script origin.

 

 

They are both 10 Inches high, made of Gypsum & very heavy...any info would be greatly apreciated.

 

 






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