BROOCH

An incomplete cast copper alloy Roman brooch of Colchester Derivative Polden Hill type (c.AD 75-175). The brooch belongs to Mackreth’s (2011) CD PH 4.f subtype. The brooch consists of the head, bow, foot and catchplate with an overall length of 42.7mm. The spring and pin are missing in old damage.

The short, sub-cylindrical wings (c.4.9mm diameter) are slightly angled with a width of 14.8mm between them. The ends of the wings have been lost to old damage. On the reverse, the head and wings are concave to accommodate the spring mechanism and the ends of the wings (now missing) would have been perforated to accommodate the central axis bar. Traces of the small backwards-facing hook preserve on top of the head which would have held the tension chord.

The head of the brooch is square (6.7mm x 7.8mm) and decoracted on either side with moulded raised ridges above the wings characteristic of Polden Hill type brooches. The head drops down to the bow at an angle of about 110 degrees. The upper bow is sub-rectangular with near-parallel sides (13.7mm long x 5.6mm-4.7mm wide x 2.1mm thick). The surface is badly eroded, but traces of what appears to be a pair of rectangular recessed cells with traces of ?red enamel running down the length of the upper bow. No other surface decoration survives. The upper bow slopes upwards to the meet the lower bow, which is irregular in shape beginning in a raised transverse ridge where it meets the upper bow (4.9mm wide x 3.9mm thick). From this midpoint it slopes downwards and tapers to the small lobed foot (foot knop is 3.7mm tall x 4.4mm wide x 53mm deep). The catchplate preserves on the reverse and is c.22.6mm in length beginning at the reverse of the lower bow and curving outwards to the apex of the catchplate where the brooch has a max thickness of 9.6mm. The catchplate then tapers and terminates at the foot. The reverse is plain and undecorated. The metal is mid green with a rough surface and weighs 5.77g.

Similar brooches are illustrated in Hattatt 2000: 300 fig. 159 no. 905

Similar brooches are recorded on the PAS database e.g. NMGW-5B1487, NMGW-E1D9A2

References:

Hattatt, R. 2000. A Visual Catalogue of Ancient Brooches. Exeter: Short Run Press.

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