BROOCH

An incomplete copper-alloy Early-Medieval Brooch. This is a fragment of a bow brooch, most likely from a Cruciform Brooch but possibly from a Small Long Brooch, not enough of this artefact survives to be able to accurately determine which type of brooch this fragment once was. A transverse worn break is present at both ends of this fragment.

The fragment has a narrow incomplete high-arched bow with a semi-circular cross-section being domed on the upper surface and flat on the underside. The bow has a width of 10.7mm and thickness of 3.0mm. The high-arched bow has a maximum depth of arch of approximately 8.4mm although the upper end of the arch is missing. The incomplete straight length of this arch is 14.8mm. The domed upper surface of the bow is not smooth but has irregular bumps and grooves which might be the result of corrosion and/or cleaning. The arch narrows to a width of 8.5mm at the junction with the foot. The foot survives to an incomplete length of 22.6mm and has a width of 7.4mm at the second transverse break. The foot has a thickness at the break of 1.7mm. The cross-section of the foot at the arched end appears rectangular however it is possible that there is some surface damage to the upper surface in this area which may have altered the original cross-section. It is uncertain whether a transverse decorative shallow groove was once present on the upper surface approximately 4.78mm down from the arch. 11.0mm down the foot, from the arch, is a decorative transverse ridge on the upper surface. This ridge has a length of 4.7mm and increases the thickness of the foot to 2.4mm with a transverse domed upper surface which gives a semi-circular cross-section. The remaining 6.7mm of the foot that is below the transverse domed ridge has a flatter semi-circular cross-section veering to oval with a flatter underside.

A catch-plate is present on the underside of the foot, starting directly below the top of the foot and extending for a length of 19.0mm. The catch-plate has a thickness of 1.7mm and extends out from the foot to a maximum of 5.6mm.

This fragment weights 5.4g, has an approximate total length of 38.9mm and maximum width of 10.7mm.