MOUNT

An incomplete copper alloy Roman phalera (a mount from legionary armour or cavalry harness) now in two pieces and dating to the 1st or 2nd century AD. It is in the form of a human bust, probably female. The break is an old one and runs mostly vertically from the top of the head to the bottom. A roughly triangular section is missing above one eye and extending into the hair.
The phalera has a highly domed central element (the head and neck) with a flat rim surrounding it (the neck extending in to it). The rim is between 9.5 and 13.6mm wide and max.4.4mm thick with punched decoration and four equidistant attachment holes c.3.5mm in diameter. These holes are arranged at twelve, three, six and nine o'clock. All of these holes have been worn through to the outside edge and that at six o'clock is divided by the vertical break.
At the top of the head, around the hair line only, there is a line of single circular punched dots at the join with the rim. A further line of punched dots flanks the hairline with the forehead. The hair is decorated with two wide diagonal grooves to either side and in between these are further (narrower) diagonal grooves. At the centre of the head are two vertical grooves, presumably a parting, and the diagonal lines to either side run up to these. Below the hair to either side is an ear, picked out with a groove in a D-shape with punched dots around/ on the line. The eyes are moulded pointed ovals, picked out with a grooved line. The nose and lips are both prominent and moulded, a vertical (moulded) line parting horizontal lips. The moulded neck extends a short distance below.
Around the rim either side of the neck and lower half of the head are curving grooves (4/5 to either side) with punched dots superimposed over them. Extending from the parting line into the rim are two pointed oval shapes of grooves with superimposed punched dots. A diagonal line of this decoration is seen to one side. No other decoration is apparent on the rim, but patches of original patina area missing.
To the reverse the surface is smooth but uneven from the moulded decoration. Traces of iron corrosion are visible around the rivet holes at twelve and six o'clock.
Much of the original patina still remains, an olive green/ grey in colour, but where it is missing (chiefly on the high points such as the nose, chin and cheeks) the surface is a light green/ blue in colour and rough and powdery to touch. Traces of iron corrosion are visible on the mount above the top of the head and below the neck.
The phalera measures 71.4mm in length, 68.9mm in width, 4.4mm in max.thickness and 25.8mm in max.depth. It weighs 110.1g.
Phalerae of the 1st and 2nd century AD are more unusual than the later 2nd/ early 3rd century types, which were associated with baldrics or sword belts (Appels & Laycock, 2007; 82). They often feature the heads of gods or godesses. Cf. figs.AA9.2, AA9.3 and AA9.4 (ibid.83) which feature similar female heads, the latter with similar attachment holes.