BROOCH

An incomplete copper-alloy ansate brooch of Early-Medieval date. The bow and one terminal survive, the opposite terminal and pin now missing due to old breaks. The bow is D-shaped in section with flat back and rounded front face, and relatively steeply curved in profile. At its centre the bow has a flattened oval shaped panel that has decoration comprising an incised cross saltire, one end of the bow now missing due to old breaks. At the complete end the bow expands to a transverse collar, from which extends the surviving terminal end. This is flat, circular in form and with a notched outer edge. The front face of the terminal has punched decoration comprising four ring and dot motifs roughly arranged in a lozenge shaped formation, one of the motifs double struck. On the back face of the terminal is an integrally cast rectangular lug that is set at right angles to the bow and has the remains of a corroded iron pin that is now mostly incomplete due to old breaks. The entire object has a dark green patina. It measures 26.52mm in length, 13.25mm in width at terminal, 6.71mm in width at bow, 2.37mm in thickness at bow, and 3.71g in weight.

This is an incomplete ansate brooch of Early-Medieval date. It finds parallels in Thorle's Group II brooches, especially Groups II D and E (Thorle, 2001: figs. 20-22), which suggests a date range in the c.8th-9th centuries for the current example, perhaps c.650-900 AD.