BROOCH

An incomplete copper alloy Roman brooch of Colchester derivative, Polden Hill 'sawfish' type dating to AD 75-175. The head, pin, spring, upper part of the bow, catchplate and knoped foot terminal of the brooch are missing.

The fragment consists of the middle section of the bow with broken terminals at either short edge. The bow is broader at the upper edge and tapers slightly to the lower terminal forming an inverted triangle in plan. The brooch is curved in profile. The front of the bow in the centre is decorated with moulded and raised diamond shaped cells. Above these is a singular diamond shaped protruding knop. On the outer edges by the moulded decoration are a series of vertical notches or cuts that form the serrated edge. The reverse is flat and undecorated. The object has a mid green coloured patina across all surfaces. 

The 'sawfish' family of T-shaped brooches are named due to the serrated edges of the bow. Hattatt (2007) p304 No. 933 illustrates a similar example. Also compare Mackreth (2011) no, 2101, page 56, plate 53. Only a couple of the 'sawfish' type have been recorded from Warwickshire with the PAS with the greatest distribution in southern England, noted by Mackreth being mainly discovered in Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire & Oxfordshire. Therefore this example has been noted as regionally important by the author. Other parallels from the database include BERK-3D1203 discovered in Warwickshire and OXON-2BB20D discovered in Oxfordshire. 

The fragment measures 26.1 mm in length, 7.4 mm in width, 5.1 mm in thickness and weighs 2.8 grams

Hattatt, R. (2000) A Visual Catalogue of Richard Hattatt's Ancient Brooches. Oxford: Oxbow Books.

Mackreth, D.F. (2011) Brooches in Late Iron Age and Roman Britain. Oxford: Oxbow Books.