Rights Holder: Somerset County Council
CC License: 
Image use policy
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
BROOCH
Unique ID: SOM-891767
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
Incomplete copper alloy Roman Strip bow brooch. The lower bow, foot and pin are all missing. The head has been formed by two wide short strips curved under to form a pair of simple parallel tubes to hold the spindle for the hinged pin with a vertical slot in the centre where the pin would have sat. The head continues seamlessly into the bow, it is stepped in three times in width between the wings and bow with even steps. The right side is slightly damaged. The bow consists of a strip of metal, tapering slightly towards the foot. The front of the bow is decorated with three parallel incised grooves running down the front starting below the stepped sides. The central groove is wider and the outer grooves regularly spaced deeper indented cross lines along their entire length. At the end is an old break which has removed the rest of the bow and foot. In profile is angles up at a shallow angle (c.30 degrees) from the head before straightening out level with the top of the grooves and is flat to the break; this profile may not be original as it made have bent when it broke. Length: 22.3mm, width of head: 16.5mm, thickness of head: 2.9mm thick, weight: 1.71g.
Bayley and Butcher (2004, 154) suggest that strip bow brooches of this form are of British manufacture and date to AD c.25-c.70, most known findspots are focussed around central Southern England.
Class: Strip bow
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: IRON AGE
Period from: IRON AGE
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 25
Date to: Circa AD 70
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 22.3 mm
Width: 16.5 mm
Thickness: 2.9 mm
Weight: 1.71 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 5th January 2011
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference numbers
Other reference: SCC 020621
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Spatial metadata
Region: South West (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Somerset (County)
District: Sedgemoor (District)
To be known as: Cossington
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayley, J. and Butcher, S. | 2004 | Roman Brooches in Britain: A Technological and Typological Study Based on the Richborough Collection | London | The Society of Antiquaries | 154 |
Similar objects
Find number: SOM-67C416
Object type: BROOCH
Broadperiod: ROMAN
Incomplete copper alloy Roman strip bow brooch. The lower bow, foot, pin and part of the head are all missing. The head was formed by two wid…
Workflow: Published
Find number: SOM-C05DF1
Object type: BROOCH
Broadperiod: IRON AGE
Incomplete copper alloy Roman Strip bow brooch. The pin is missing. The head has been formed by two wide short strips curved under to form a …
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Find number: SOM-D5D237
Object type: BROOCH
Broadperiod: IRON AGE
Incomplete copper alloy Roman bow brooch, probably a strip bow. The pin, part of the head, the foot and catch plate are missing. The majority…
Workflow: Awaiting validation
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