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BROOCH
Unique ID: NCL-512AFA
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A fragmentary headstud brooch of early Roman date, c. AD 70-200.
Only the head of the brooch remains, consisting of the upper bow, arms, and pin mechanism. The bow is rectangular in section, and enough remains to indicate that it tapered toward the foot. No headstud is present, but this was probably located below the break of the bow. A row of alternating red and blue enamel squares runs up the centre of the bow. The arms are square in appearance (facing forward) and D-shaped in section, with the flat face forward. Each arm bears a vertical arrangement of three small rectangular fields bearing enamel with blue in the centre flanked by red. The top of the head has a decorated line of small squares, incised or punched after casting, and this separates the top and face of the brooch from the reverse of the head.
The reverse of the head bears an interesting feature. The arms are D-shaped in section and hollow, allowing an axel to fit through to hold a hinge-pin in place via the lug that fits through a central rectangular hole in the centre of the head's reverse. This lug and upper part of the pin remain in situ, corroded into a fixed position. However, the reverse of the arms have been cast into a moulded shape resembling the appearance of a spring-pin mechanism.
While no evidence for a headstud remains on the brooch, the overall morphology and use of enamel fits better with identification of a headstud type rather than a Colchester-derivative/T-shaped type.
Find of note status
This is a find of note and has been designated: Potential for inclusion in Britannia
Class: Headstud
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: ROMAN
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 70
Date to: Circa AD 200
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Height: 13.65 mm
Width: 29.75 mm
Thickness: 7.94 mm
Weight: 12.4 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 7th April 2014 - Monday 5th May 2014
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Fragment
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel
Spatial metadata
Region: North East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
District: Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
Parish or ward: Thirston (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: NZ2099
Four figure Latitude: 55.28472657
Four figure longitude: -1.68666709
1:25K map: NZ2099
1:10K map: NZ29NW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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