Rights Holder: Somerset County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: SOM-0BA04E
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A copper-alloy Roman colchester derivative initial T-shaped brooch, incomplete in so far as it is missing its pin and part of the catchplate, dating to the later 1st-century AD. The head has narrow tubular wings, 17.1mm wide, both decorated with a pair of incised transverse lines running around the front close to the ends. A hinge bar for the pin runs through the wings, it is not clear if it is iron or copper alloy. Between the wings at the back of the head is a slot in which the remnants of the pin are hinged on the axis bar. The copper alloy pin has a triangular head with an integral backward pointed spur at its head to aid tensioning. It starts to narrows to a circular cross-section before a worn break.
The upper bow emerges from the wings almosty vertically before bending over almost 90 degrees immediately and then running in a shallow convex curve to the foot. The upper part of the bow is oval in cross section and flanked by slight wings to either side which taper in width and merge into the sides about an eigth of the way down the bow. Below these wings the bow becomes more circular in cross section as it continues to taper towards the plain pointed foot. On the front of the bow, running down from the slot, is a slightly off centre raised ridge. At the foot the catch-plate is seamlessly developed from the bow. The sub-triangular solid catch-plate has a curved upper edge, a broken and worn outer edge where the folded over catch is missing, and comes to a point where it meets the point of the bow.
The entire thing is 49.8mm long, 12.1mm thick and weighs 4.35 grams. The brooch has brown patina with patches of green showing through the patina.
In general form this brooch is very similar to the Colchester one- and two-piece brooches of the 1st century AD although the form of the head is that of a T-shaped brooch. Bayley and Butcher (2004, 159) describe initial T-shaped brooches as 'usually hinged, not enamelled but sometimes with fine relief decoration and lacking a headloop.' They suggest a Flavian association (69-96 AD). SOM-21B4C2 on this database is similar.
Class:
Colchester Derivative
Sub class: Initial T-shaped
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 60
Date to: Circa AD 90
Quantity: 1
Length: 49.8 mm
Width: 17.1 mm
Thickness: 12.1 mm
Weight: 4.37 g
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 1st January 2015 - Monday 23rd March 2015
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Other reference: SCC receipt 16445
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bayley, J. and Butcher, S. | 2004 | Roman Brooches in Britain: A Technological and Typological Study Based on the Richborough Collection | London | The Society of Antiquaries |