Stone Anchor (11A19)
This small three hole stone anchor was found south of Plymouth Breakwater. The single hole at the top would be used to attach a rope while the pair of holes near the base would hold wooden pegs, then deployed these pegs would dig in and provide extra grip on the seabed.
The shape of the stone suggests that it has been roughly shaped as the sides are straighter and more uniform than either the top or the bottom. The anchor is unusual because the larger, upper hole used to tie on a rope has been roughly cut through a thin area in the rock while the two lower holes are circular and appear to have been neatly bored.
This type of anchor was referred to as 'Byzantine-Arab' by Honor Frost (1).
See 10A11 for details about the other single hole stone anchors found in the Plymouth area.
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Images
References
(1) Frost H., 1963, Under the Mediterranean, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., p49