Early Medieval armlet
There have been many arm rings of similar style found in several hoards throughout the years such as the Cuerdale hoard and Huxley hoard, both of which contained several arm rings, the latter of the two containing a number of unfinished arm rings.[1] Both of these hoards had a several arm rings within in them of many of which were the same in style to that of the arm ring presented here, especially in the case of the Huxley hoard in which serrated edge and punch marks occur on the arm rings. This shows that the arm bands were of great importance in welsh society. The fact that so many arm rings of a similar fashion have been found in around the same area shows that they were very prevalent and highly coveted during 9th Century in the British Isles, as well as demonstrating that there was a varying degrees of skill and value between the arm rings. The importance of arm rings is that they show not only physical wealth but also loyalty to a lord as they along with rings and other gifts would have been given as signs of loyalty.[2]
The history surrounding this specific object is filled with possibilities, the most likely of which is that it was fashioned as a gift for someone, which was a common practice within the British Isles as it showed loyalty as well as serving as a display of social standing and wealth.[3] An example of this practice is a hoard of arm rings found in Angelsey, all the rings within the set are of a very fine material and make suggesting that they were made by a very skilled craftsman. The reason for this hoard is unknown but it is suggested that it was a gift for a welsh lord because the giving of arm rings was a custom in welsh society as it signified both power and loyalty. However, this is not the only possibility as it is likely that it could have been traded to that area from Viking or Anglo-Saxon traders. The Arm ring could have also just been left by Viking raiders or a marauding band of Anglo Saxons from Britain, though this last options is unlikely, because there was not a significant amount of raiding into wales by Anglo-saxons or Vikings especially in the region this armband was found.
The strong presence of arm rings within Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon culture can be seen in how many have been found as well as the differing levels of skill and cultural design applied to each one. Furthermore, the influence of Norse culture is seen because so many different nations adopted parts of their culture such as arm rings, later adding their own unique input to the practice resulting in new styles and designs.
