WMID-922C17: Early Medieval: Incomplete great square headed brooch

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BROOCH

Unique ID: WMID-922C17

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation

An incomplete cast copper alloy gilded great square headed brooch fragment, of Early Medieval dating (c. AD 450 to c. AD 600).

Less than 25% of the brooch is present, consisting only of part of the bow and a small amount of the head plate. The rest of the brooch is missing, presumed lost in antiquity.

The brooch fragment is sub triangular in plan, and curved in section. The front has been gilded. The front exhibits linear decoration, with two lines to either side of a central circular element. The outside edges exhibit a stamped square repeating design. The reverse is plain and undecorated.

It measures 26.27 mm in length, 24.18 mm wide and 4.13 mm thick (at the bow). It weighs 9.7 g.

The brooch is a mid green colour, with gilding and an even surface patina.

A similar great squared headed brooch was recorded from grave A11, located in the Anglo-Saxon cemeteries at Beckford, Herefordshire & Worcestershire (Evison & Hill, 1996, p 98, fig 11) and considered to date from c. AD 475 to c. AD 550.

Reference:
Evison, V. & Hill, P. 1996. Two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries at Beckford, Hereford & Worcester. CBA Research Report 103. CBA. York.

Class: great 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 450
Date to: Circa AD 550

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 26.27 mm
Width: 24.18 mm
Thickness: 4.13 mm
Weight: 9.7 g

Personal details

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Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Linear
Completeness: Incomplete
Surface Treatment: Gilded

Spatial metadata

Region: West Midlands (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Staffordshire (County)
District: Lichfield (District)
Parish or ward: Harlaston (Civil Parish)

Spatial coordinates

4 Figure: SK2110
Four figure Latitude: 52.687287
Four figure longitude: -1.690768
1:25K map: SK2110
1:10K map: SK21SW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
Discovery circumstances: Found whilst metal detecting

References cited

No references cited so far.

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Timeline of associated dates

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Audit data

Recording Institution: WMID
Created: 10 years ago
Updated: 10 years ago

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