BROOCH

A copper alloy Roman brooch of Colchester derivative, Polden Hill (Mackreth 2011, Part 3, Group 5, flat wing ends type, Western Group), c.f. Mackreth 2011, 5.c. Plate 50; Hull T103, dating to the period c. AD 70-110. The brooch is missing part of the pin but is otherwise intact. The wings are rectangular in plan and cylilndrical in section. They feature a design of alternating grooves and ridges running in sequence: thin ridges, thin grooves, thick ridges, thin grooves, thin ridges and thick grooves. The thicker ridges are decorated with a pattern of incised horizontal lines.

The wings retain the intact spring mechanism. The pin loops through a circular perforation in a V shaped lug which protrudes from the centre of the head and loops around itself, terminating in an old break next to the lug. The V shaped lug sits at the centre of a moulded decoration V shaped groove and and a second lower V shaped ridge which has a zig-zag pattern incised into it. Two further ridges sit one either siden of the edge of the bow and extend from the wings to approximately a third of the way along the bow.

The bow tapers along it's length into the moulded foot. The triangular catchplate extends from the reverse of the bow and is intact, including the pin rest.

The brooch measures 47.03mm in length, 29.98mm maximum width, 3.16mm minimum width and weighs 16.24g.

Similar examples can be seen in Hattatt, R, 2007, pp. 301, nos. 382 & 383.