English: Incomplete cast lead or lead alloy pilgrims ampulla dating from the medieval period; late 13th - late 15th century (1250-1500). The extant fragment of the ampullae represents the lower part of the flask. The upper part (neck and handles) has been lost, probably due to movement in the ploughsoil. The fragment is oval in plan and D shaped in profile. It has a rounded convex base that tapers slightly to form a waste at the mid point; it is here that the damage has occurred. The ampulla measures, 28mm in length (from the upper broken edge to the apex of the base), 34.7mm maximum width (across the base of the ampulla), and is 15.2mm thick (at the base). The ampulla weighs 30.03 grams.

The two faces of the ampullae are very different from one another; one face is relatively flat whilst the other has a broad D shaped bowed profile. This is also reflected in the cast decoration present; the front bowed face has a series of cast high relief ribs which form a shell. Whilst the other has a series of cast low relief vertical ribs which may possibly form the letter M. However, the upper part of this design has been lost due to the damage described above.

The ampulla is a mid grey white colour with an even patina that covers the majority of surfaces. This patina has been abraded in several areas revealing a mid grey metal beneath. There are several areas of damage present; the most significant of these is the feathering of the upper edge of the flask. These areas of damage are consistent with abrasion occurring in the plough zone of a field.

Ampullae were used to contain holy water, as a souvenir of a pilgrimage; they date to the 13th to 15th centuries. It has been suggested that many of these are found unconnected with religious sites (specifically in East Anglia) and it is thought that they could have been used and discarded in a religious ceremony to bless the fields. Not enough ampullae have been recorded in the West to say if a similar tradition is prevalent here. The shell design present on this example is often linked with the cult of St James and the initial M might suggest a link with the Virgin Mary.