Medieval Earwax Scoop Offers Insight into Historical Hygiene

A rare silver earwax scoop, a tiny artifact, provides “an interesting window” into personal hygiene practices during medieval times. This 43mm-long (1.7in) ear-cleaning instrument was unearthed by a metal detectorist in July in a field located near King’s Lynn, Norfolk. Helen Geake, a county finds liaison officer, stated that dating such scoops is “really, really hard to date.” However, she inferred that a series of dots punched along its “barley twist” handle suggests it dates to the later medieval period, rather than the earlier Roman period in Britain. Only 20 silver ear scoops have been documented on the Portable Antiquities website since its establishment over 25 years ago, highlighting the rarity of this discovery, she added. Dr. Geake provided context: “For comparison with other medieval silver items, there are 1,200 brooches, 1,200 finger rings and 29 pins on the database.” The infrequent discovery of these items within an archaeological context makes their dating particularly challenging. Dr. Geake explained: “The Roman ones are quite similar, but this one has a characteristic medieval design of a line of dots made using a punch and, unlike Roman ones, does not have a suspension loop.” This find, which is partially gilt, has been dated to approximately 1350-1400, a period encompassing the reigns of Edward III and Richard II. The artifact features a small scoop at one end, while the other end is flattened. Dr. Geake suggested this flattened end might have been used for cleaning under nails. An inquest into the item has been initiated by the coroner. Source: The British Museum She commented, “Ear scoops are unusual finds and like this one, seem to have been made for the upper classes as most were made from silver.” She further noted, “Silver was rare before the influx of precious metal into Europe from South America from the mid-16th Century onwards.” The database records 13 ear scoops crafted from less expensive copper alloy, but Dr. Geake suspects that “most people used finger nails” to clean their ears. She drew an analogy: “It’s a bit like forks – if you’re poor you don’t have one at all rather than having one made of a cheaper material.” She concluded, “But they do offer an interesting window into the medieval world because we don’t see personal hygiene or make-up items very often.” The Norwich Castle Museum hopes to acquire this artifact.