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BROOCH
Unique ID: NCL-FBFB61
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A cast copper-alloy cruciform brooch of the later 6th-7th century.
Only the headplate remains, and this in two pieces. The head is rectangular with a central panel and a chip-carved border and knobs. The central panel and border a flush rather than stepped, with the central panel defined by a simple incised line along the top and to either side, with a broader groove along its bottom, which would have separated the panel from the now missing bow. A quatrefoil has been punched into the centre of the panel, consisting of four pointed-oval petals arranged symmetrically. The border has a facemask centrally positioned and looking outward on three sides, with the corners occupied by bird-heads. The two sideknobs and topknob also depict outward looking facemasks.
Relative to the chip-carving decoration seen on some other brooches, this example is less well executed, though it represents a flourished example of the type. Similar examples (though lacking the knobs) were found in Darlington on the River Tees (MacGregor and Bolick 1993, 108-9, nos 12.34 and 12.35).
The sunken surfaces of the head retain gilding.
The reverse is undecorated and bears the broken lugs of the pin and hinge, centred and positioned just above the bow.
Class: Cruciform
Chronology
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Anglo-Saxon style
Date from: Circa AD 550
Date to: Circa AD 625
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 53.23 mm
Width: 81.19 mm
Thickness: 2.95 mm
Weight: 41.1 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 15th November 2009
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Fragment
Surface Treatment: Gilded
Spatial metadata
Region: North East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
District: Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
Parish or ward: Ford (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: NT9238
Four figure Latitude: 55.635494
Four figure longitude: -2.128636
1:25K map: NT9238
1:10K map: NT93NW
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
1 comment
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Helen wrote @ 13:16:17 on the 23rd April 2011.
Is this brooch from the un-excavated Anglo-Saxon cemetery of Etal, in the Milfield Basin? Thank-you, Helen
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