BROOCH

Cast copper-alloy bow brooch. Roman period, circa late 1st-2nd century AD. Mass: 6.5g; width: 17.0mm; length: 28.0mm; depth: 11.4mm. Broadly T-shaped in plan. The side-wings have incomplete, pierced end-caps and there is a plate projecting from the top of the head. On the reverse of this plate there is a stub, possibly a hook to secure an external chord (although the entire spring and pin mechanism are missing). The spring would have been held within the recessed rear of the crossbar. The bow is arched in profile, with a D-shaped cross-section; it tapers towards the broken bottom. The brooch has a smooth green patina in parts. But where this has been lost, the surface is pitted and uneven. There is iron staining on the reverse of the head and crossbar suggesting that the axis bar, or possibly even the spring mechanism, were iron. The brooch is decorated. There is an “X” in relief on either side of the head, and grooves run down the front and sides of the bow. There are also small plates on either side of the head. This feature, together with the pierced end caps and hook on the head are commonly seen on Polden Hill brooches (AD75-175), although the type tends to have a more clearly defined T-shaped plan, and the plate on the head is not usual.