NMS-E7F720: Late Saxon bird brooch

Rights Holder: Norfolk County Council
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BROOCH

Unique ID: NMS-E7F720

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Published Find published

Late Saxon copper-alloy bird brooch in two pieces (recent break across neck). Missing parts include the pin, part of the double pin lug, the flap of the catchplate, the beak and both feet. The bird has a triangular tail with a wide transverse moulding at the junction of tail and body, a triangular wing projecting above the back, an aperture between the legs which probably rested on a "perch". There are three rounded coxcomb projections from the top of the head. No decoration is visible, although the front surface is moulded rather than flat. The reverse has the double pin lug at the end of the tail and the catchplate in the centre of the body, both set longitudinally. Surviving length 39mm, surviving height 25mm.

Bird brooches of this type are known from Denmark and England and date from the 11th century (Pedersen 1999). Other examples have been recorded in Norfolk at Costessey (HER 5352), Kenninghall (HER 32862), Postwick (HER 31087), Rocklands (HER 34984), East Rudham (HER 29031), West Rudham (HER 32133), Seething (HER 40302), Stoke Holy Cross (HER 24332), Thetford (HER 33933) and Topcroft (HER 39872). This example most clearly resembles the Kenninghall brooch (Pedersen 1999, fig. 19b).

For comparanda on the PAS database, see BERK-CEBC67, BERK-5DED86, NMS-E7F720, SF-BCC403 KENT-9F6987 SUSS-44F203 SF-7B3CA5. Another, rather unconventional, example is at SF-AD5FA7.

Class: bird
Sub class: Weetch type 30.A

Chronology

Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture: Anglo-Scandinavian style
Date from: Circa AD 1000
Date to: Circa AD 1100

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 39 mm
Width: 25 mm

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 1st December 2007 - Saturday 1st December 2007

Personal details

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Other reference numbers

SMR reference number: 4561

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Completeness: Incomplete

Spatial metadata

Region: Eastern (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Norfolk (County)
District: Breckland (District)
To be known as: Beachamwell

Spatial coordinates


Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
General landuse: Cultivated land

References cited

Author Publication Year Title Publication Place Publisher Pages Reference
Pedersen, A. 2001 Rovfugle eller duer Fugleformede fibler fra den tidlige middelalder Copenhagen Det Kongelige Nordiske Oldskriftselskab

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Timeline of associated dates

Audit data

Recording Institution: NMS
Created: 15 years ago
Updated: 3 years ago

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