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BROOCH
Unique ID: NARC-1837DC
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An incomplete copper alloy Saucer Brooch of Early-Medieval date (AD 400-600). The object is circular in plan and is missing most of the saucer rim, the pin and the catchplate. The decoration is in the form of a central ring-and-dot motif from which five running spirals radiate, surrounded by a circular border. From the outer circle (which is incomplete due to damage) the shallow rim extends acutely upwards. The back of the object retains two short abraded spurs which would have formed the attachment lugs. The pin is also missing.
The metal is dark green and brown in colour.
Length: 29.57mm, Width: 29.97mm, Thickness (plate): 3.97mm, Height (rim): 4.86mm, Weight: 8.1g.
Similar examples can be seen on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database: HAMP-6667BE, BUC-810501 and SUSS-A9D105.
A number of similar saucer brooches with running spirals are shown in MacGregor and Bolick (1993), p42-45, Fig. 2.12, Fig. 2.13, Fig. 2.14, Fig.2.16. The authors state that "Saucer brooches belong largely to the fifth and sixth centuries, although some production survived into the early decades of the seventh century" (ibid, p42).
Class:
Saucer
Sub class: Five running spirals
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Middle
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 400
Date to: Circa AD 600
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 29.57 mm
Height: 4.86 mm
Width: 29.97 mm
Weight: 8.1 g
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Curvilinear
Completeness: Incomplete
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Buckinghamshire (County)
District: Aylesbury Vale (District)
Parish or ward: Charndon (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SP6523
Four figure Latitude: 51.90176044
Four figure longitude: -1.0566669
1:25K map: SP6523
1:10K map: SP62SE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacGregor, A. and Bolick, E. | 1993 | A summary catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon collections (non-ferrous metals), Ashmolean Museum, Oxford | Oxford | Tempvs Reparatum | 42-45 |
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Timeline of associated dates
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