BROOCH

An incomplete copper-alloy brooch of Roman date. It is missing the spring and pin due to old breaks. The wings are semi-cylindrical in form with diagonal grooves on the front faces. Between the wings is a projecting head that is oval shaped in form with a rear-facing hook and incised decoration in the form of two grooves that create a cross saltire on the front face. The bow has a flat back and moulded, projecting front face. This consists of a prominent conical projection with incised diagonal strokes to either side of its upper face and a small transverse notch on its lower face. Beneath this, the bow flattens and has transverse projections to each side. These have central ridges with incised diagonal grooves above and below that produce a faceted appearance. The foot of the bow is elongated with a rounded tip decorated with three radiating incised grooves. On the back face of the foot is the integral catchplate, which is sub-triangular in form with a folded outer edge to accomodate the now missing pin. The brooch measures 28.41mm in length, 17.98mm in width at wings, and weighs 6.61g. This brooch finds parallels in a group of Roman brooches that Hattatt terms Reversed Fantail brooches (Hattatt, 1989: Fig. 172, nos. 807-814, 1393 and 1487). These are probably derived from the Aesica group of brooches and may well be of East Anglian origin (pers. comm. J. Plouviez, SCC). The parallels to this example indicate a 1st century AD date for the current example.