BROOCH

An incomplete cast copper-alloy Hod Hill brooch of Roman date. It is missing its axis bar and pin due to old breaks but is otherwise intact. The brooch has a flattened rectangular head with terminals that roll forwards to hold the now missing axis bar. The head narrows to a moulded transverse collar that separates the head from the flat rectangular bow. Beneath the collar the front face of the bow has three vertical flutes separated by vertical ridges, the central flute being wider than the two side flutes. To either side of the bow are projecting knops that have short arms and globular, semi-circular terminals which are D-shaped in section. At the base of the bow are three transverse incised grooves followed by a narrow waist before the brooch expands again to the foot. The foot is flat, triangular in form, tapering to a projecting terminal knop that is D-shaped in section and has a transverse collar. At the top of the foot is a transverse ridge, with incised grooves running down each side of the front face of the foot to give it a decorative border. On the back face of the foot is an integrally cast catchplate, which is flat, rectangular in form and missing parts of its outer edge due to old breaks. The entire front face has the remains of an added white metal coating that is particularly visible on the bow and foot. It measures 37.83mm in length, 23.93mm in width (at side knops, 12.83mm at bow, 12.59mm at head), 1.63mm in thickness at bow, and 3.59g in weight.

This is an incomplete Roman Hod Hill brooch similar to examples from Hacheston (Blagg et al., 2004: nos. 14, 16, 19). It is of 1st century AD date, c.43-100 AD.