BROOCH

An incomplete cast copper alloy Roman brooch of Colchester derivative Polden Hill type (flat wing ends type, West Midlands). The wings are semi-cylindrical terminating with a perforated wing cap, both of which are incomplete. The axis bar, spring and pin are all missing. The wings are undecorated. The bow head is slightly hump-like in profile,

. There is an incomplete integral perforated lug or hook. Either side of the bow head there is a slight step. The bow is sub semi-circular in section, gradually tapers to a broken edge below the bow head. The bow head is hump-like, and angular (comma shaped) in profile, with cylindral wings projecting from either side at the top. The bow head is hump-like, and angular (comma shaped) in profile, with cylindral wings projecting from either side at the top. The break is not recent. The surface of the brooch is heavily abraded. It measures 15.14mm long, 15.39mm wide across the wings and weighs 2g.

The brooch is a Polden Hill type, which probably dates to c. 75 to 175 AD (Worrell, S. 2007 'Roman Brooch Timeline' North-West PAS Newsletter). Bayley and Butcher (Bayley and Butcher, 2004 Roman Brooches in Britain: A technological and Typological Study Based on the Richborough Collection Society of Antiquaries p. 160) comment that the distribution of Polden Hill brooches are concentrated in the West Midlands and narrows the dating to AD 80 to 120.