Casgliadau Arlein

Riveted sickle fragment. Handle end fragment of sickle, broken in antiquity across the upper blade. The end of the handle plate is diagonal in shape, with an obtuse angle at the intersection with a blunt top edge, and an acute angle intersecting with the concave curved and sharpened inner blade edge. Two circular rivet holes are set at a distance of 4.0-4.5mm from the sub-rounded corners of the handle plate. One shows signs of concentric wearing on the margins, about 1mm from its edge, possibly created by a now lost rivet once 7mm in diameter. The sickle is wedge shaped in cross-section, thickest at the blunt top edge and tapering to form the inner blade edge. A casting flash is visible along the top edge and a possible casting runner stub protrudes from the mid-point along the diagonal plate end. On one face, a groove 2.5-3mm wide runs parallel and near to the top edge and is bordered by a feint ridge or rib about 1.5mm wide and less than 0.5mm in height. The blade edge is concave in shape and begins approximately 20mm from the handle plate corner and extending 22.5mm until the break point. Only a 5mm section of original blade edge survives, the rest having been chipped off rather than corroded. However, sharpening marks are visible, indicating some preparation of the blade for use. Striations in the thin green-brown deposits on the handle plate surfaces may represent traces of grained mineralised handle material (wood structure preserved?). The sickle has a dark green patina near the blade edge and along the other edges.