Winchester City Museum, Historic Resources Centre, Hyde House, Winchester, accessions no. 2943 WS 219, 220

Found in archaeological excavation north of Winchester cathedral in 1964: WS 219 in trample above Norman masons' chipping layer over west end of seventh-century nave of Old Minster, Final Phase 68-70 (Provisional Phase 1022), twelfth- century; WS 220 in spreads inside Old Minster nave earlier than final demolition, Final Phase 49-55 (Provisional Phase 1018), late tenth- to late eleventh-century

Old Minster

No dressed faces survive, and the carved surface is battered; one of the five joining fragments, WS 220 is also worn and has traces of whitewash.

This seems to be the top and back of the hair of a human figure. Faint traces show that the left side rises from the background of the relief. The right side shows a change in a ridge, perhaps to the right temple. The hair is shown as 3–6 mm wide plain bands.

The nearest parallel is the hair of the figure in the elaborate scene from this site (no. 88; Ill. 647). These fragments are likely to have come from a relief of about the same size as Winchester (Old Minster) no. 88, and perhaps of the same date. Since the part of the present piece found in layers sealed before the final demolition in c. 1093–4, WS 220, was damaged and worn, perhaps from having been walked upon, the relief must have been in position and damaged well before the end of the eleventh century.

Late tenth to early eleventh century

Biddle and Kjølbye-Biddle forthcoming a, fig. 151, no. 77