Copper alloy cockerel

Although excavations at Hungate have only just started, already some interesting finds have been made. Amongst these is a small flat object in the shape of a bird, apparently a cockerel. Made of copper alloy - a metal formed from alloying copper with another metal - the bird has been cast in a mould, and its features are still clearly visible. Its tail feathers have been decorated with punched dots, and a wing, eye and also its legs and comb are all well defined.

The function of the bird is uncertain, but it was perhaps a brooch, although there is now no sign of a pin or catch. Brooches depicting birds, including cockerels, are known from the medieval period, with examples from London being dated to the mid-14th –15th centuries, and it seems most likely that this bird is of a similar date. At this period, brooches were worn at the neck by both men and women, and were not only decorative, but also would fasten together pieces of clothing.