BROOCH

An incomplete Roman copper alloy developed T-shaped brooch dating to the period c. AD 50 - 150. The pin, most of the bow, the foot and the catchplate are missing. The brooch measures 22.84mm in length, 49.10mm maximum width, 8.43mm minimum width, is 18.17mm thick and weighs 19.50g.

The brooch has wide wings, shallow C-shaped in cross-section and divided by a central pin slot. The pin slot exhibits small traces of iron corrosion product from the missing pin. The wings are decorate by a series of alternating ridges and grooves of varying thickness(bead and reel decoration). The wider ridges are incised with a series of fine horizontal grooves. The bow is triangular in cross-section. It projects at a sharp angle from the centre of the head and then bends sharply at nearly ninety degrees, terminating in an old break. The upper part of the bow is divided into six cells by two vertical semi-circular reserve lines and one horizontal reserve. Each cell retains traces of degraded enamel of uncertain original colour. There is a reserve at the point at which the bow bends, below which are three triangular cells separated by a V-shaped reserve. There is then a horizontal reserve, below which are the remains of three cells which are incomplete due to old breaks. All cells retains traces of degraded enamel of uncertain original colour. The brooch terminates in an old break.

The shape of the brooch in terms of the bow is that of a developed T-shaped bropoch such as WILT-ABD95B, however, the length, shape and decoration of the wings is aligned more closely with IOW-D9CE3E & DOR-51B466.

Similar examples are illustrated in Mackreth, D. F, 2011, Vol. II, p. 70, pl. 67, nos. 12141 & 11539.