BROOCH

Roman cast copper-alloy developed T-shaped brooch with hinged pin dating to c. AD 75-150. The pin is mostly missing. The brooch head has open-ended cylindrical wings, these hold the axis bar for the hinged pin. A white paste/cement is visible at the ends. There is a large transverse slot through the centre of the underside of the head, between the wings, where the pin hinges. The triangular copper alloy pin head is still in situ but the pin has broken off just behind the head. At the top of the head is a small rectangular tab with a broken, worn upper edge, possibly the remains of the head loop.

The bow is triangular in section with a flat back,and a ridge running down the centre of the front. In the centre of the bow it expandes into a flatened lozenge shape. This shape is decorated on the front with two indented triangles, arranged base to base, surrounded by a indented lozenge shaped border. These indents may have previously held enamel. It is now bent in profile but probably rose at 45 degrees to the head and then curved shallowly to the foot. The bow tapers gradually but consistently in width and thickness from the head to the plain rounded foot, apart from the central expansion. On the back is the remains of the trapezoid catchplate with a curved upper edge, straight lower edge, stepped in slightly from the foot. The outer side is thickened and would have been curled over to make the catch for the pin. It is 46mm long, 17mm wide and 10mm thick, it weighs 4.83 grams.

Bailey and Butcher (2004:159) suggest the presence of a head loop indicates a date in the later first - early 2nd century AD (c75-150). Similar examples were found in excavations at Shepton Mallett (Mackreith 2001:190 fig 52) no.42-3, the former from a mid-2nd to mid-3rd century context has orange enamel surving in the upper triangle. Examples on this database have been recorded in Wiltshire WILT-B08248 and WILT-A34EE4. Two similar examples are recorded by Hattatt (2000), nos. 918 and 919, one from East Anglia and one form Wiltshire.