Rights Holder: Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum
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BROOCH
Unique ID: WILT-AFEFB2
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A fragment of Early Early-Medieval (500-600) copper alloy gilt small square-headed brooch, consisting of the headplate (with single lug to the reverse) and part of the bow. It measures 24.95x18.58x12.76mm and weighs 4.21g. All breaks are ancient.
The head plate measures 24.95x13.38x1.85mm (without lug). At the centre of a sunken area is a raised rectangular panel with two narrow ribs flanking the short edges and one narrow rib linking the outside pair of short ribs on the upper long edge (the other long edge is flanked by the top of the bow). Around the sunken area is a thickened rib on three edges, the fourth (bow) edge having thickened rib at the corners only, which then extends into the bow. Flanking the three main edges of the thickened rib is a thinner flange with an apparent geometric motif of single triangles arranged one way up then the reverse. This area retains much of the original gilding, as do the narrow ribs.
The bow curves slightly forward before dropping and is 11.17mm wide and 4.07mm thick, with a prominent central mid-rib. It has three curving grooves to one side of the rib, probably mirrored on the other but wear slightly masks this. There are traces of gilding.
To the reverse the lug is D-shaped, slightly bent and with a central rivet hole now filled with iron corrosion.
Class: small square headed
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 500
Date to: Circa AD 600
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 24.95 mm
Width: 18.58 mm
Thickness: 12.76 mm
Weight: 4.21 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Friday 12th August 2011
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: Salisbury Museum Entry Form no.3760
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Completeness: Fragment
Surface Treatment: Gilded
Spatial metadata
Region: South West (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
District: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
To be known as: Salisbury
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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