Abstract
This dissertation aimed to examine and record the medical or cosmetic ligulae that
were excavated in Silchester by the Society of Antiquaries. These finds are currently
in the Reading Museum, unpublished. The objective was to relate the ligulae to other,
published examples, in order to form ideas in terms of date ranges and social contexts.
The Silchester collection of ligulae was drawn by the author and formed into a
typology along with illustrations taken from published excavation records from
Britain. The date ranges that were included in the published data were then analysed
with reference to the typology, in order to view any chronological trends in terms of
design.
Finally, the spatial and social distribution of the published material was discussed,
with the aim of discovering trends in context that might relate to the unstratified finds
from Silchester.
The methodology was both practical and synthetic, as a combination of informed
material and supposition was employed in order to incorporate the two sources.
Because of the lack of records from early excavations, many conclusions drawn about
the Silchester collection are speculation, relying on regional trends.
iv