Objects Database

Deadman (homemade from steel)

Accession Number

1716.2023.1

Object Name

Deadman (homemade from steel)

Created

03/07/2023

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

03/07/2023

Brief Description

Homemade deadman with 4 large holews and 2 small ones.Nylon rope looped through holes

Materials

steel

Dimensions

20(L) x 15(W) cms

Number Of Objects

1

Colour

silver

Maker

Homemade

Provenance

Folk have been burying things in the ground to make anchors since time began, collectively known as ground anchors. There are a multitude of methods e.g. there is some evidence that the Egyptians buried trees to make anchors in the sand when moving the huge stone blocks for the Pyramids.
We think the first snow anchors were simple pieces of wood buried in the snow to tether dog teams in Arctic and Antarctic climes. Similar ideas have been used to anchor tents in the desert.
Quite where the term ‘deadman’ came from which refers to aluminium plates used to make anchors for mountaineers is unclear, though it does conjure a rather grim image of some hapless, frozen corpse buried in the snow with a rope around for an anchor.
The mountaineering version is usually a simple aluminium (for lightness) plate with a strengthening bar for hammering it in and wire cables for attachment. Such a simple format is very easily replicated in the workshop and we have one here in the collection. This one is actually made from steel, making it rather heavy, the large holes helping alleviate that a little.
We have several other homemade versions in the collection but this one is a wee bit different and nobody died.

Acquisition Date

03/07/2023

Condition Check Date

03/07/2023

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

03/07/2023

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