BROOCH

An incomplete cast copper-alloy Early-Medieval (Anglo-Saxon) small-long brooch (c. 450-c. 550).

This brooch has been integrally cast and the edges of the head-plate and foot-plate are chipped around the edges. This damage may be due to recent agricultural activity. The pin is missing.

The head plate, now with a maximum width of 24.5mm, would have been cross-shaped and has bifurcated terminals to the horizontal arms. The top of the plate may have been semi-circular in outline. Between the top and each arm, the head-plate has a semi-circular outline. It is also semi-circular in outline below each arm. The head-plate has a maximum thickness of about 1.0mm. As viewed from the side, the bow is strongly arched. It has a length of 17.7mm, a width of 5.1mm and a thickness of about 3.4mm. It is convex at the front and slightly convex at the rear. The lower part of the bow is flat at the sides. At each corner of the bow (as viewing the front) there is a slight chamfer. The foot-plate is lozenge-shaped and has a thickness of 1.2m. However, the tip of the footing is missing due to damage mentioned above.

The rear face of the head-plate is flat and at its lowest part there is a pin-lug, 'D'-shaped in side profile (6.1 x 6.4 x 1.7mm). It has a single perforation and contains the remains of a corroded iron axis bar that formed a hinge for the pin. It is not clear what material the pin was made of. Iron corrosion deposits partly obscure the lug and the deposits have migrated on to the plate, adjacent to the lug. The catch-plate is situated centrally on the upper part of the foot-plate. It is trapezoidal in side view (10.2 x 6.7 x 1.6mm). The curled over part that retained the pin-tip is missing.

The front of the brooch is tinned and decorated with five ring-and-dot motifs. All the motifs are similar and each motif consists of central dot surrounded by two concentric rings. Each motif has an outer diameter of 5.0mm. On motif is centrally situated at the top of the head-plate, within the semi-circular area. There is one at the centre of the head-plate and one each side of it on each arm. These three latter motifs are in a horizontal row. At the centre of the foot-plate, the fifth motif is at the centre.

This brooch is corroded in places, particularly on the bow. It has traces of a dull khaki coloured patina and has been tinned at the front. There are a number of horizontal scratches or striations on the head-plate which may be the result of fettling.

There is no evidence for burning or heating.

46.8 x 24.5 x 14.0mm. Weight: 7.69g.

Two similar brooches are in the Collections of the AshmoleanMuseum (MacGregor and Bolick, 1993: 145-6, refs: 15.78 and 15.79). These two brooches are more slender than this Isle of Wight example.

Other similar examples have been recorded from St Cuthbert Out Parish, Somerset and Littlebourne, Kent. See Portable Antiquities Scheme finds: SOMDOR-DEA564 and KENT2345.