Ryan’s Snake Bracelet
Ryan Smedley chose this snake bracelet, pictured above, as his object. From the museums MODES record he was able to discover that it was found in Brough, which is about 5 miles north of Newark. The Romans knew it as the small town of Crococolana. The bracelet is made from copper alloy and has a snakes head at either end, with a herringbone pattern on the body. It would probably have been worn by a female. The snake is a symbol of rebirth because of its apparent ability to be rejuvenated through the shedding of its skin and is also an ancient symbol of eternity. It is often portrayed as biting its own tail, which stands for the cycle of eternal return or for eternity in general. So, as well as being an adornment it may also have been symbolic. In Pompeii for example a snake is depicted below a shrine to the Lares, who were the gods of the household. Ryan chose this object because it looked like something that someone today might wear.
