Crosses in Inscriptions

This paper analyses the use of crosses appearing in Anglo-Saxon inscriptions. The focus of the discussion is on whether or not the use of crosses can be associated with factors such as the date or function of the inscribed object, the material the object is made from, or the language used in its text. There are 323 separate non-runic texts occurring on 251 objects, giving a reasonably sized body of material to work on. The conclusion reached is that it seems to be the function of an inscribed object that is of most importance in whether or not a cross appears in the text.