BROOCH

Roman Polden Hill type brooch (broken into two pieces) of flat wing ends type, (AD c. 80-120). The copper alloy brooch has wings which are semi-cylindrical, and terminate with perforated wing caps. The wings are undecorated. At the upper edge of the wings and head there is an integral incomplete hook which holds the chord in place. The iron axis bar has the iron spring coiled around it. The pin is missing. The head is an angular hump in profile and decorated with two pointed lentoids position to form a chevron. The upper portion of the bow is D- in section with the flat surface forming the outer face. This face is decorated with two vertical rectangular cells, one with a trace of yellow enamel. The bow is broken, above the mid point, the break is not recent. This is the upper portion of the brooch.

The lower portion of the brooch has the rectangular cells continuing until the mid point where there is a moulded section and it is here that the bow changes angle slightly. The bow then has vertical ribbing as decoration but due to corrosion and abrasion there detail is not clear. The bow tapers to a blunt point. On the reverse the catchplate is solid and incomplete.

The surface of the brooch has a matt light blue-green patina.

Together the two fragments measure 55.52mm long, 23.65mm wide across the wings and weighs 16.43g.

The brooch is a Polden Hill type. Bayley and Butcher (2004:160) comment that the distribution of Polden Hill brooches are concentrated in the West Midlands and suggest they date toAD 80 to 120. It is similar in style to WAW-6AA3CC and NMGW-8DF0B0.

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