English: A copper alloy Roman anthropomorphic figurine representing a bound captive. The figure is naked and in a seated position with legs together and bent at 90 degrees and the elbows resting on the knees. The arms are bent at approximately 45 degrees from the elbows. The hands which would have been clasped together and bound are missing due to a recent break. The posture is dictated by the incomplete shackles the captive bears with a rope connecting the neck, hands and feet. The rope between the neck, hands and feet is missing due to recent damage but is visible around the neck (rope or collar) and at the knees. The area between the legs, arms and stomach is solidly cast, with the limbs moulded for definition.

A large circular perforation travels horizontally through the torso which measures 5mm in diameter. This perforation is met by a perpendicular circular perforation, also measuring 5mm in diameter, which runs vertically from the captive's shoulders to his bottom. The head appears relatively large and has a ridged brow, circular sunken eyes which may have held stones or enamel, a straight linear mouth and a moulded nose with a shallow depression to one side which may be ancient damage. The ears are not defined however this may be due to wear. The hair consists of eight grooves styled in a distinctively 'Celtic' tonsure with the hair brushed back from the forehead and delineated by incisions which stop above the base of the head. The mouldings have been done in a realistic style. The knees and feet are together and a transverse moulded band, representing the rope, is visible at the rear of the ankles.

The object has a mid-green patina with patches of light green corrosion in places.

The most recent publication on these figurines notes that sixteen bound captive figurines have been found across the empire as classified by Ralph Jackson. This find is an example of Jackson's (2005, 144-5) Type I figurine. Such objects were clearly meant to be mounted through the perforations, although who was meant to view them is less clear. The argument that they represent slaves is convincing (see Jackson 2005). Although more are coming to light through metal detecting (see NLM2845 and DENO-9632F6) few have been found in secure archaeological contexts. A broad date in the 2nd or 3rd century can therefore only be suggested (ibid., 148). To date, bound captive figurines have only been found on the Rhine/Danube frontier and in Britannia (see ibid., 147; fig. 6).

Similar examples which can be found on the PAS database include DENO-EB7C77, <a href="https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/413449">https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/413449</a>, HAMP-378231, <a href="https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/185032">https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/185032</a>. Currently there are only 3 such examples recorded on the database, two of which have perforations running through the head and only one other which has the perforation running through the back as with this example, see <a href="https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/413449" title="View details for DENO-EB7C77">DENO-EB7C77</a>.

The front view of the face bears comparison with a number of objects, including a pin recorded on this database: <a href="https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/pas_obj.php?type=finds&id=0014381E6C4017D6">HAMP-1E6536</a> and <a href="https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/470927" title="View details for LVPL-939C76">LVPL-939C76</a>.

Dimensions: 44mm in length, 7mm in width, 20mm thick (from back to hands), 14.7g.