BROOCH

Late Iron Age to early Roman (c. AD 25 to c. 60) Colchester One-Piece brooch: The copper alloy brooch has wings which are formed by a horizontal rectangular bar which is abraded and undecorated. On the reverse of the wings, integral to the upper edge is a rectangular protrusion which is upturned towards the front face of the brooch forming a perforated lug. The lower edge of the wings, on the reverse, has a trace the integral spring. The bow is hump-like in profile, but is slender and tapers down the bow. The bow is 'D' shaped in section and the outer face is decorated with two fine, parallel linear grooves. The reverse of the lower portion of the bow has traces of a catchplate. In profile the bow forms a slightly curved crescent or bracket. The surface of the brooch is abraded and has traces of a brown/green patina. The brooch is incomplete, missing the some of the catchplate, spring and pin and is in poor to fair condition. It weighs 10.2g, and measures 13.81mm wide across the wings and 77.48mm long.

Colchester One-Piece brooches are derived from continental brooches (Bayley and Butcher, 2004, 149) and are a La Tène III type, and are common in the middle years of the first century. Worrell (2007) suggests they date to c. 25 to c. 60 AD. Hattat (Hattat, 1985) illustrates a similar brooch No. 250.

Bayley and Butcher, 2004 Roman Brooches in Britain: A technological and Typological Study Based on the Richborough Collection Society of Antiquaries

Hattat, R 1985 Iron Age and Roman Brooches Oxbow

Worrell, S. 2007 'Roman Brooch Timeline' North-West PAS Newsletter