BROOCH

A Roman copper-alloy bow brooch dating to the 1st to 2nd century AD, incomplete in so far as it is missing its pin. The head has two hollow cylindrical wings both slightly abraded at their tips. They held the axis bar for the hinged pin. The axis bar survives in part, largely corroded, made of iron. Between the wings on the under side of the head is a slot in which the pin would have hinged. The wings are decorated with an incised line running across them diagonally, from the top of the pin slot to the back of the upper surface. The upper surface was also decorated on each side with a trio of transverse incised lines grooves at the tips; this is unclear at one of the tips due to abrasion and the presence of iron corrosion product.

The bow has a sub-rectangular shaped cross-section with a largely flat upper and lower surfaces and slight bevelling to the edges of both. It bow projects at upwards from the head then curves gradually through 90 degrees, curving downwards even more gradually to the foot. It tapers slightly in width from the head to foot (6.5 to 4.3mm across). At the head is a recessed central zone possibly with the beginning of a small moulded wavy line within the raised edges. The upper surface beyond is obscured by tinning and dark-orange corrosion product from a corroded rivet that perforates the bow at its highest point; this may have attached a separate stud. The leg is decorated with three longitudinal grooves. The central groove has a small moulded wavy line running along its length. The grooves that flank it are decorated with fine punch marks.

On the lower surface of the foot the bow thickens seamlessly into a broadly triangular catch-plate whose fold projects from the base. Where it survives the brooch has an even mid-green patina. It has suffered some pitting with light-green patches of corrosion product apparent. As noted there are patches of iron corrosion product from the stud and axis bar respectively. There is also an area of tinning on the upper surface. This brooch is tentatively classified as a T-shaped example.