This bridle bit is a remarkable survivor of over 2000
years, as it is still complete and in exceptionally good
condition. Originally it would have been used in the horse’s
mouth to control the animal, reins being attached to the
two ends. It was found by a farmer in his yard after he
had been scraping away soil.
Horses were important in the Iron Age as they showed that
their owners were rich and powerful. The tack and fittings
used to harness horses, particularly to chariots, could
often be decorated with Celtic art styles and colourful
inlays of enamel as on this example. Similar other bridle
bits have been found in Dumfriesshire, Scotland and in Yorkshire, and date to the first century AD.
L:325mm; D: 74mm |
