Rights Holder: Cambridgeshire County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: CAM-20CFD7
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
An incomplete copper-alloy Roman Wirral brooch of the second century AD. This brooch weighs 14.31g in its incomplete state and is [probably] a Wroxeter type late first century AD to mid second century AD.
At the top is a head loop, the outer edge of which is convex with flattened internal reverse and upper edges. The external diameter of this loop is 9.0mm and the circular internal diameter is 5.2mm. Below the loop is a rectangular field of 6.1mm length and 10.6mm width. This plate has a thickness of 1.9mm. The upper surface of this zone is decorated with transverse lines of slight grooves and ridges including two lines of transverse closely set small shallow 'x's. From the bottom of this zone the curved bow springs forward with a width of 10.1mm and thickness of 3.1mm. Behind the lower half of the rectangular decorative zone and start of the bow are the curved wings. These slightly curved wings, have a convex upper surface and flatter, vaguely concave underside and have a width of 15.6mm and length of 9.0mm. When viewed in plan the wings have a barrel shaped appearance, sub-rectangular to sub-oval in shape. The upper surface of the wings is plain and undecorated with the exception of a shallow thin incised lateral groove 0.7mm in from the end. Behind the wings there seems to be a cylinder which holds an axis bar although this is obscured from view by corrosion product. This cylinder runs the entire width of the wing span. The cylinder seems to have a central gap or notch of 4.2mm width. From this notch a single loop or coil can be seen, presumably wrapped around the axis bar. From the inner edge or centre of the cylinder a circular sectioned piece of copper-alloy emerges from the top of the notch. This piece of copper-alloy has a diameter of 1.8mm and extends to a length of 5.5mm ending in an abraded rough but transverse break. From the base of the notch in the cylinder a slightly more oval cross-sectioned shape of copper-alloy emerges. This has a width of 2.2mm, thickness of 1.9mm and length of 4.2mm ending in an abraded rough but transverse break. These two projections are likely to be the same length of copper-alloy that form the single visible coil. One of these ends is probably the incomplete shank of the now missing pin. It therefore seems that this brooch had a hinged pin.
The bow has a moulded decorative appearance with a curved length of 60.0mm. The upper section of bow (measurements where this meets the wings and head-plate and head-loop already given above) has a curved length of approximately just less than 20.0mm. This zone is decorated with three moulded lateral grooves, which create the appearance of being separated and bordered by ribs. A single very slight groove is present along the edges of this zone. The bow has a width of 8.9mm and thickness of 3.0mm where the grooved decoration ends. Below the upper zone of the bow the thickness increases to form an angular semi-circular or rounded triangular cross-section of 4.4mm thickness. At the top of this area is a singular circular knop of 3.9mm which increases the thickness over this part of the bow to 6.5mm. This area tapers to a width of 7.4mm. The curve of the bow starts to slope back inwards from below the knop when viewed in profile. 3.4mm below the knop the bow is decorated by a transverse moulded ridge. This ridge covers the full width of the upper surface of the bow with a length of 1.5mm towards the edge and narrowing to 0.5mm at the centre of the bow. It is interesting to note that there is a noticeable transverse marking on the reverse surface of the bow directly behind the transverse moulded ridge on the upper surface of the bow. The transverse marking on the reverse surface is the result of the bow thickening on the lower half. The bow takes on a triangular cross-section below the transverse moulding. 15.5mm below the transverse moulded ridge the bow has tapered to a width of 4.7mm and has a thickness of approximately 1.9mm. The upper surface is then decorated with a second moulded ridge this time of 'V' shaped design. Below the central point of the 'V' which is the lowest point of this moulding the bow continues for a further length of 5.4mm, to a width of 4.7mm and 2.5mm thickness. The foot of the brooch continues for a further approximate 4.7mm. The length of the foot is mostly accounted for by a sub-rectangular widening of 6.8mm width which increases the thickness to 4.1mm. This zone is semi-circular in cross-section with a convex upper surface. Two thin shallow transverse incised lines decorate this part of the foot. The foot terminates with a very short oval cross-sectioned knop of approximately 0.9mm length, 2.2mm width and 1.8mm thickness. It is uncertain whether this small terminal knop is the original terminal, is abraded or whether some more substantial terminal part has broken off and this is the remains of a very worn break. A large catch-plate with return survives in good condition behind the lower part of the bow. The catch-plate starts behind the lower edge of the wider part of the foot, just prior to the start of the small knop terminal. The catch-plate runs along the centre of the reverse surface of the lower bow for a length of 25.7mm with a width of 1.5mm. It rises with a vertical edge to a height of 5.2mm behind the foot, the edge then slopes upwards diagonally to create a sub-triangular shape and it is along this edge that the return bends over to form the pin rest. The upper end of this sloping edge forms the apex to the sub-triangular shape and is the highest point of the catch-plate at 10.1mm. The edge of the catch-plate then curves in with a concave curve to a height of 2.5mm where it turns a 90 degree angle and rejoins the underside of the bow with a vertical edge. This brooch is in a good condition with the exception of the missing pin and accumulation of corrosion product around the cylinder behind the wings. The total straight length of the brooch is 56.2mm and the maximum width, across the wings, is 16.1mm.
Notes:
working note number 5.
Class: Wirral
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 100
Date to: Circa AD 200
Quantity: 1
Length: 56.2 mm
Width: 16.1 mm
Weight: 14.31 g
This information is restricted for your access level.
4 Figure: TL3852
Four figure Latitude: 52.14905006
Four figure longitude: 0.01551283
1:25K map: TL3852
1:10K map: TL35SE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.