BROOCH

Roman incomplete cast copper alloy developed T-shaped brooch dating to the late first to early second century AD. Most of the pin, lower part of the bow, foot and part of the head loop are missing. The head has two hollow cylindrical wings, now 25.8mm wide, to hold the axis bar for the hinged pin. One is complete but the other is missing the tip and split at the end. The complete example has an incised transverse groove just before the end. In the open ends is a white substance, possibly solder to hold the axis bar. Between the wings on the under side of the head is a slot. This contains the copper alloy axis bar on which the pin would have hinged. Part of the strip copper alloy pin survives, now stuck pointing upwards. This has a reddish corrosion compared to the green on the rest of the brooch and appears to have corroded more heavily, possibly because it is a different alloy. There is an incomplete head loop formed of a solid flat tab at the top of the head which starts at a rectangular projection then expands out into a circular loop. It has broken across the loop.

The bow has a sub-rectangular shaped cross section with a slightly concave back and flat front and sides. It projects at 90 degrees from the head then almost immediately bends down at c.70 degrees and runs flat to a large knop before starting to bend down again before the break. It has been bent outwards slightly by damage. Before the first bend it is plain. Between the bend and knop is a recessed central panel filled with two complete and two half lozenges formed from a lattice of crossed raised lines. These probably once held enamel. The bow thickens below the recessed rectangle where there is knop formed of three raised transverse ridges. The back of the knop is hollowed slightly. Below this the bow becomes D-shaped in section just above the old break. The foot of the brooch and the remainder of the bow are lost beyond this point.

It is now 28.0mm long, 11.3 mm thick; it weighs 7.69 grams.

T-shaped brooches are very variable in the decoration on their bows. Bayley and Butcher (2004:167) suggest this type is mainly South Western in distribution and dates to the later first - early 2nd century AD (c75-150). T105/6 and SOM-49B944 appear similar without the knop.