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Type 6: Short plano-convex

Type 6 - basic outline Type 6 - timeline Distribution of Type 6 combs in British Isles European distribution of Type 6 combs
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Type 6 example

Type 6 combs are short in length, and regular in form, with attention paid to symmetry of profile. Their connecting plates are plano-convex in both profile and section, and in basic terms Type 6 differs from Type 5 in that connecting plates of the former have a much deeper cross-section. The type corresponds to Ambrosiani's widely recognised class 'B', which is often seen as characteristic of the 10th century (Ambrosiani 1981, 62, 64). However, Ambrosiani's strict mathematical distinction between combs of Types A and B (on the grounds of a ratio between connecting plate width and thickness) is not followed here, as experience has shown this strictly quantitative approach to be misleading. This ratio does seem to fluctuate along comb length (contra Ambrosiani), at least in some cases. A more important metric distinction relates to the overall dimensions of Types 5 and 6 (see Smirnova 2005, 22-3); Type 6 combs are much shorter than Type 5, being between 100 and 150mm in length; see Tempel 1969, 92). Given the potential for overlap, it should be noted that correspondence analysis has independently demonstrated the legitimacy of a division into Types 5 and 6 (see Ashby 2006, fig. 6.4).

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