Horseshoe Artefact Find
Possibly From 11th - 16th Century
I have already done some description of my find of this object on my Starting Out page but this page is for more specific details on the find of the item.
This half of a horseshoe was my first find with my first metal detector, so even though it's not complete I plan to keep it forever!
It was dug up from my mums garden in Ramsgate, Kent in August 2012.
As I have previously stated on the other page, I used my Ultra 7000 Ultrasonic Cleaner to clean this for about five consecutive 3 minute sessions which cleaned it and brought it up reasonably but I am planning to clean it in Sea Clean Concentrate in the Ultra 7000 to see if anymore detail can be brought up.
I have done some research on horseshoes to see if I can date this at all and found that the point on this horseshoe means it's likely to be from the 11th-16th Century and is likely a Guildhall Shoe due to the point it has (most of the others have a fuller end without a point) however as I don't have the other half I can't be certain. From looking at the below photo's I do wonder if it is actually a Mule Shoe instead as it doesn't seem to curve round quite like most horseshoes and mule shoes seem to have pointed ends rather than a fuller shape, but like I said I can't be certain without the other half and this is only initial research anyway.
To come to this conclusion I used the following research information:
This half of a horseshoe was my first find with my first metal detector, so even though it's not complete I plan to keep it forever!
It was dug up from my mums garden in Ramsgate, Kent in August 2012.
As I have previously stated on the other page, I used my Ultra 7000 Ultrasonic Cleaner to clean this for about five consecutive 3 minute sessions which cleaned it and brought it up reasonably but I am planning to clean it in Sea Clean Concentrate in the Ultra 7000 to see if anymore detail can be brought up.
I have done some research on horseshoes to see if I can date this at all and found that the point on this horseshoe means it's likely to be from the 11th-16th Century and is likely a Guildhall Shoe due to the point it has (most of the others have a fuller end without a point) however as I don't have the other half I can't be certain. From looking at the below photo's I do wonder if it is actually a Mule Shoe instead as it doesn't seem to curve round quite like most horseshoes and mule shoes seem to have pointed ends rather than a fuller shape, but like I said I can't be certain without the other half and this is only initial research anyway.
To come to this conclusion I used the following research information:
This is from The Countryman's Rescuing the Past, edited by Ann Cripps.
This is from a Shire publications book on Old Horseshoes by Ivan Sparkes.
If anyone has a better idea of what type of horseshoe it might be or from what period I would be happy to hear from you.
If anyone has a better idea of what type of horseshoe it might be or from what period I would be happy to hear from you.