Rights Holder: Norfolk County Council
CC License: 
Image use policy
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
PIN
Unique ID: NMS-80C104
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
Romano-British copper alloy hairpin of Cool's (1990) Group 7 sub-group A. The thumb and forefinger grip the spherical object but the other three fingers are moulded ensemble and differentiated only by vertically engraved lines. Knuckles, joints and nails are represented by transverse lines. The wrist or cuff, on the uppermost part of shank, is emphasised by two groove mouldings. The ball has been "variously identified as an egg, a pomegranate and an apple", and perhaps had symbolism as a love or fertility charm or was associated with beliefs concerning life, death and rebirth. The distribution of such pins is heavily skewed towards military sites.(ibid. 157-60). Length 92mm. Second half 1st century.
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 50
Date to: Circa AD 100
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 92 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 20th December 2005 - Tuesday 20th December 2005
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference numbers
SMR reference number: 21431
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: Eastern (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Norfolk (County)
District: King's Lynn and West Norfolk (District)
To be known as: Feltwell
Spatial coordinates
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool, H.E.M. | 1991 | Roman metal hair pins from southern Britain 158 | London | Royal Archaeological Institute | Group 7 sub-group A. |
Similar objects
Find number: NARC-D05502
Object type: UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT
Broadperiod: ROMAN
A cast copper-alloy artefact in the form of a hand holding a small spherical object between thumb and forefinger, and emerging from a square p…
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Find number: DUR-5F4466
Object type: PIN
Broadperiod: ROMAN
Cast copper alloy Roman hand pin, Cool Group 7.
This type of pin has a hand holding an item, either an egg, pomegranate or apple. This …
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Find number: KENT-A2342E
Object type: HAIR PIN
Broadperiod: ROMAN
A fragment of silver hairpin of early Roman date, c.50-150AD. Fitting Cool's group 7a.
Description: The pin remains only as a pin head in…
Workflow: Published
Timeline of associated dates
About Us
About our Site
Find us
The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG.
T: +44(0) 20 73238618