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BROOCH
Unique ID: GLO-5F3646
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An incomplete copper alloy Roman zoomorphic plate brooch, dating to the 2nd century AD. The brooch is in the form of a three dimensional bird, with wings folded across its back, a small projecting tuft of tail feathers and an arched neck and head. The plate or body of the bird is oval, convex and decorated with curvilinear recessed cells which suggest wing feathers; the cells would have been filled with a variety of coloured enamel but only traces of white enamel remain . The head has large annular eyes with a recessed centre, a projecting comb above and a small conical beak at the front. At the back of the plate the tail of the bird is shown as a rearward projecting crescent shaped plate with loop blow, set perpendicular to the body. The underside of the brooch is concave with the remains of the pin hinge at the tail end.
A number of similar brooches also taking the form of cockerels have been recorded both on the PAS database and published literature. In the case of the former, these include records SF-7821E2, WREX-F20705 and WILT-135AA8. Similar brooches are noted by Hattatt (1989, nos. 167 and 620) and from Colchester (Crummy 1983, no. 75). See also examples published by Mackreth (2011, p. 241). Perhaps importantly, cockerels are often associated with the god Mercury.
Class:
Zoomorphic (cockerel)
Sub class: Mackreth 2011, Vol 2, plate 126, no.14798.
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 100
Date to: Circa AD 200
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 38 mm
Height: 26 mm
Width: 16 mm
Weight: 6.61 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 6th September 2020 - Sunday 5th September 2021
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel
Spatial metadata
Region: South West (European Region)County or Unitary authority: South Gloucestershire (Unitary Authority)
District: South Gloucestershire (Unitary Authority)
Parish or ward: Dodington (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: ST7379
Four figure Latitude: 51.50927781
Four figure longitude: -2.39043824
1:25K map: ST7379
1:10K map: ST77NW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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