Harness, horse / bridle bit, curb

Object/Artifact

-

Trimontium Museum

Image edited from an original positive on film by ©National Museums Scotland. Digitised and edited by The Trimontium Trust.

Image edited from an original positive on film by ©National Museums Scotland. Digitised and edited by The Trimontium Trust.

Name/Title

Harness, horse / bridle bit, curb

Entry/Object ID

X.FRA 497

Description

Roman curb bit of iron, from the Roman site at Newstead (Trimontium), 140 - 180 AD. Unusually well preserved. A type known as a curb bit: the projecting bar fits in the horse's mouth while the straight bar fits under its chin. The reins attach to the loops at the side.

Use

A bridle bit is used to control a horse. The Romans used several types of horse bits. Some were used for riding, some for pulling carts and wagons, while some others could serve both purposes.

Context

Trimontium had a large cavalry presence, and the cavalry was the longest standing military force at the fort. Numerous pieces of horse-related items have been found at the fort. Horses would have been used for military purposes as well as for transportation and for working.

Collection

National Museums Scotland

Category

Horse Harness Equipment, Horse Equipment

Acquisition

Accession

X.FRA 497

Source (if not Accessioned)

National Museums Scotland

Made/Created

Date made

140 - 180

Time Period

2nd century

Ethnography

Cultural Region

Continent

Europe

Culture/Tribe

Romano British, Roman

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Tertiary Object Term

Harness, Horse

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Harness, Animal

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Tack, Animal

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Land Transportation Accessories

Nomenclature Class

Land Transportation T&E

Nomenclature Category

Category 07: Distribution & Transportation Objects

Getty AAT

Concept

harness hardware, bridles (animal work equiment)

Other Names and Numbers

Other Numbers

Number Type

Previous Accession Number

Other Number

I.15.421

Material

Iron

Color

Brown, Black

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

James Curle

Web Links and URLs

"A Roman Frontier Post and Its People", J Curle, p.297 and Pl. LXXI, National Museums Scotland web link to artefact, Canmore web link to Newstead (Trimontium), Artefact page on NMS - Scran

Research Notes

Research Type

Reference

Notes

"A Roman Frontier Post and Its People", J Curle, p. 297 "...Another bit was found in the large inner ditch of the extended fort, where it was cleaned out on the west side, and near it lay an iron head-stall decorated with enamel. The bit (Plate LXXI., Fig. 3) is a severe one. It measures 4¼ inches between the cheeks; the bar is curved, and assumes in the centre the form of a solid tongue of metal."