Strap Ends

...
Viking Age Compendium articles on Belts and Tags:

Jewellery

Jewellery

Buckles

Buckles

Belts (Men)

Belts (Men)

Belts (Women)

Belts (Women)

Hooked Tags

Hooked Tags

Jewellery

Jewellery

Buckles

Buckles

Belts (Men)

Belts (Men)

Belts (Women)

Belts (Women)

Hooked Tags

Hooked Tags

This article is primarily based on the work of:

Thomas, Gabor (2000) A Survey of Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking-Age Strap-Ends from Britain. Unpublished PHD.

 ^{(THOMAS 2000)}

Strap End Typology

The following section is abbreviated from Gabor Thomas’s Finds Research Group datasheets ^{(THOMAS 2003) (THOMAS 2004)}.

Class	Avg. Length (mm)	Avg. Width (mm)	% of finds
A	42.3	12.2	63
B	43.6	9.5
C	44.4	4.3
D	47.9	8.8
E	43.5	20.6	16
F	47.5	12.6
G	45.9	11.8
H	41.6	15.3
I	35.5	9.6
J	29.1	10.2
K	36.5	13.8

From Art

Strap-ends are not usually depicted in period art.

• BL Harley 2886 1000-1100AD France

• 
  Harley 2886

From Archaeology

Class A

Type A1 Trewhiddle

• 
  Type A1
  Trewhiddle
• 
  BM
  Cuerdale Hoard
• 
  Lincoln
• 
  Ipswich
  Filixstowe
• 
  BM
  Trewhiddle Hoard
• 
  BM
  
• 
  Shrewsbury
• 
  Shrewsbury

---

Type A2 Patterned

• 
  Type A2
  Patterned
• 
  Kings Lynn
• 
  Ipswich
  Filixstowe
• 
  Ipswich
  Pin Mill
• 
  BM Web
  

---

---

Type A4 Enamel

• 
  Shrewsbury
• 
  Ipswich
  Filixstowe
• 
  Kings Lynn

---

Type A5 Silver wire

• 
  Ipswich
  Nacton

---

Type A Possible Associated Buckles

after Thomas 2010 ^{(THOMAS 201 p.279-80)}

• 2 buckles from York, Fishergate. No.5311 & 5312. ^{(ROGERS 1993 p.1349)}
• 1 buckle from Cottam, N. Humber
• 1 buckle from Winchester
• 1 buckle from St Paul-in-the-Bail, Lincoln

• 
  Lincoln
  Paul-in-the-Bail

---

Class B

Type B2 Trewhiddle

• 
  Kings Lynn

---

Type B4 Multi-head

• 
  York
• 
  York
• 
  Lincoln
  Steep Hill

---

Type B5 Interlace

• 
  Type B5
  Interlace

---

Type B6 Side On

• 
  Type B6
  Side On

---

Class C

• 
  Kings Lynn
  Bawsey

---

Class D

• 
  Kings Lynn

---

Class E

Type E1 Winchester AD 900-1075

• 
  Type E1
• 
  Norwich
• 
  Norwich
• 
  Norwich
• 
  Norwich
• 
  BM

---

Type E2 Anthropormorphic

• 
  Type E2

---

---

Type E4 Borre

• 
  Type E4
• 
  Norwich
• 
  Norwich

---

Type E5 Scandinavian Influenced

• 
  Type E5
  

---

Type E6 Carolingian

• 
  Balladoole Belt
• 
  Balladoole Spurs
• 
  BM-Web British Museum
• 
  BM-Web British Museum

---

Type E7 Unclassified

• 
  Norwich
  Type E7
  

---

Class F

• 
  Manx, Cronk Moar, Baldric
• 
  BM-Web, Ruskington
• 
  Ipswich
  Polstead

---

Class G

• 
  Urnes

---

Class H

• 
  Type H Unclassified

---

Class I

• 
  Type I Back-plate

---

Class J

Type J1 Wedge-shaped

• 
  Type J1 Wedge-shaped
• 
  Kings Lynn

---

Type J2 Rectangular

• 
  Type J2 Rectangular

---

---

Class L Unclassified

• 
  York
• 
  Kings Lynn
  Bawsey

---

References

Evans, D.H., and Loveluck, Christopher (eds.) (2009) Life and Economy at Early Medieval Flixborough. c.AD 600-1000. The Artefact Evidence. Excavations at Flixborough Volume 2. Oxbow Books.

 ^{(EVANS & LOVELUCK 2009)}

Hadley, Dawn M. & Richards, Julian D. (2025) Life in the Viking Great Army. Raiders, Traders, and Settlers..

 ^{(HADLEY & RICHARDS 2025)}

Nicholson, Andrew (1997) ‘The Antler', 'The Bone and Horn Artefacts' & 'The Iron'. In

Hill, Peter (ed.) (1997) Whithorn & St. Ninian The Excavation of a Monastic Town 1984-91.

 ^{(NICHOLSON 1997)}

Thomas, Gabor (2000) A Survey of Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking-Age Strap-Ends from Britain. Unpublished PHD.

 ^{(THOMAS 2000)}

Thomas, Gabor (2003) 'Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking Strap Ends 750-1100. Part 1'. Finds Research Group Datasheets 25-40: No.32

 ^{(THOMAS 2003)}

Thomas, Gabor (2004) 'Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking Strap Ends 750-1100. Part 2'. Finds Research Group Datasheets 25-40: No.33

 ^{(THOMAS 2004)}