The comb
This comb, found in the moat around Caerlaverock's `later' castle, is pale brown in colour and is made from birchwood. Both ends of the comb have broken, so this fragment may have been near the middle of the comb.
Wooden combs were carved from a rectangular block of wood. A kind of wood called boxwood was often used for combs since it does not warp once it is seasoned. Combs made from birchwood, like this one, are more unusual. In the medieval period, combs were also made from bone, antler and horn. Many, like this comb, show very fine workmanship.
The styling of hair was was important in the medieval period, both for men and women. The drawing on the left shows a medieval woman using a comb and mirror. This comb is double-sided, with widely-spaced teeth on one side and very fine teeth on the other. The fine teeth helped to keep the hair clean and free from lice.
The solid central zone of the comb was often decorated. This comb is decorated with an inscription, which has hearts at both ends. Only part of the inscription survives, but the hearts may mean that the comb was given to someone as a love token, so it would have been valued by the person who used it.
The style of the decoration suggests that the comb was made in the 15th century, possibly in France.
Of course, combs are still used today to keep hair clean and tidy. Although a few are still made from horn, most today are made from plastic and are much plainer than medieval combs.
Objects made from wood, like this comb, are rarely preserved in the ground. This comb was found in the waterlogged conditions in the castle's moat, where decay was greatly slowed down. It needed very careful cleaning and special conservation treatment.
What other kinds of materials decay quickly in the ground and rarely survive for archaeologists to discover?