The Portable Antiquities Scheme

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An incomplete silver 'knotenfibula' dating to the late Iron Age. The pin and spring of the brooch are missing and the catch plate is also broken and missing. The bow has a diamond shaped cross section. At its highest point, close to the end of the brooch where the spring was originally, there is a circular boss between two ring mouldings. This boss is the defining feature for these types of brooches. The original catch plate, which held the pin in place when worn was decorated with two large perforations to produce a delicate decorative shape. The piece of brooch recovered is 87.9 mm long and weighs 11.7 gms. This brooch belongs to a type known as a Knotenfibula because of the 'knot' or boss on the bow. It would also be described as a Feugere type 8a or an Almgren type 65 in the most common typologies used for describing Late Iron Age brooches. These types of brooches are known from archaeological sites across southern Britain, France, western Germany and the Low Countries. They are usually made from bronze or iron. However, there are a small number of Knotenfibula brooches that are made from silver, and an even smaller number made from gold. These brooches vary in shape, particularly between those with a shallow bow and boss, or those with a sharp and distinct 'knee' with the spring directly below it. Most of the silver Knotenfibula brooches found in Britain are those with a shallow bow. This silver brooch, however, is of the type with a sharp 'knee' and is similar in shape to the two gold Knotenfibulae from the Winchester hoard. In south-east England this type of brooch in bronze or iron is a common find in cremation burials. Silver examples from cremation burials are known from this area, such as those from Great Chesterford and Shillington. These brooches are also found on excavated settlement sites in south east England and other parts of southern Britain. Knotenfibula brooches can be quite closely dated. This type of brooch was in fashion between about 80/70 and 30/20 BC; the archaeological period called La Tene D2.

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Created: Friday 16th May 2003
Updated: Thursday 24th February 2011