Rose Theatre ornament

Two fragments of a chain-linked ornament with bone beads, possibly part of an elaborate necklace or headdress. These were found during the excavations of the Rose theatre on Bankside. They probably belonged to a woman or a child. One fragment is straight but the other piece has five junctions. The fragments were originally thought to be part of a rosary but they are too complex for that.

The Rose was first built in 1587 and was one of four purpose-built playhouses on the south bank of the Thames in London (the others were the Globe, the Hope and the Swan). It was demolished in 1606. Archaeologists discovered the remains of the Rose in 1988. Reference: Bowsher, J. & Miller, P. (2009), 'The Rose and the Globe - playhouses of Shakespeare's Bankside, Southwark. Excavations 1988-90’, MOLA Monograph 48.