BROOCH

Roman incomplete cast copper alloy developed T-shaped brooch dating to the late first to early second century AD. The pin, lower part of the bow, foot and part of the head loop are missing. The head has two hollow cylindrical wings, now 37.9mm wide, to hold the axis bar for the hinged pin. One is complete but the other may be broken slightly at the end. Both have three transverse incised lines near the end. In the open ends is a white substance, possibly solder to hold the axis bar. Between the wings on the under side of the head is a slot This contains the axis bar on which the pin would have hinged but the pin is now missing. Iron corrosion suggests the bar and possibly the pin were iron. There is an incomplete head loop formed of a solid flat tab at the head which starts at a rectangular projection broken across the top with an old break before the loop.

The bow has a C-shaped cross section with a concave back and convex curved front. It projects at 90 degrees from the head then immediately starts to curve over towards the foot. It is broken just below the head. The upper part is very thick but it seems to be thinning towards the break. The bow narrows consistently from the head to the break. It has moulded decoration on the front with a broad raised central strip running down from the tab. This strip is decorated apparently with pairs of transverse lines alternating with plain sections but it is very corroded, obscuring some details of this decoration.

It is now 15.4mm long including the loop, 20.7mm thick and it weighs 13.48 grams.

T-shaped brooches are very variable in the decoration on their bows. Bayley and Butcher (2004:167) suggest this type is mainly South Western in distribution and dates to the later first - early 2nd century AD (c75-150).