BROOCH

An almost complete copper alloy Aesica brooch of Roman dating to the 1^st century AD, missing the pin mechanism.

The brooch is made in two parts, the first being a flat plate, the second being an attached bow that is attached to the plate with a circular rivet.

The wings which are 21.2mm wide and part of the bow piece, positioned above the flat plate. At the end of one wing is a pierced knop, the hole is filled with corrosion, the second knop is broken. The wings have tranverse lines decorating the backs. On the head of the brooch between the wings is the remains of a pierced lug for holding the sping mechanism. The bow extends downwards from here with knops extending to either side. One of these knops is missing. below the knops the bow piece tapers to a rounded terminal which is riveted to the flat plate. Parallel lines run down the back of the bow.

The flat plate is sub-triangular with a wide base at the foot tapering up until it expands to knops then tapering further to a smaller straight edge. The top of the flat plate is 7.1mm wide and expands outwards to knops which are 20.3mm wide. Below the knops the plate narrows with a width of 10.9mm expanding to a wide base of 19.2mm. On the reverse of the flat plate is a catchplate which extends 8.8mm from the back of the foot. This is trapezoidal in shape with an upper edge that curves over to form the catch for the pin. The rivet attaching the bow is visible on the reverse of the flat plate.

The object is a dark green colour with areas of an off-white patina.

The brooch is 40.5mm long, 20.7mm wide at the widest point, 10.8mm thick including the catchplate and weighs 13.03g.

Similar examples are illustrated in Hattatt (2007: 310) Fig 169, Nos. 799 and 800, dated to 1st century AD. The brooch is similar to Mackreth (2011, V2: p31, Plate 28) No.6129, making it Mackreth type AESICA 1.a. A similar example on the database is OXON-59CAA6.