Rights Holder: Somerset County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: SOM-FECB51
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
An incomplete Roman copper alloy developed T-shaped brooch dating to the period c. AD 75- 150. The brooch comprises the head with wings, a decorated bow, foot and catch plate, although most of the pin and part of the catchplate is now missing.
The head of the brooch has two complete cylindrical wings decorated at the terminal ends with pairs of transverse incised lines that run around the entire circumference. There is also a incised diagonal line running across the front of each wing. These wings house the copper alloy axis bar for the hinged pin mechanism which projects from the end of one wing. The wings are divided by a central pin slot at the back, which still contains the flat head of the copper alloy pin, the shaft of the pin is missing to an old break. There is no evidence of a head loop.
The bow projects at 60 degrees from the head and is rectangular in section with a flat back and front. The top section of the bow curves through 120 degrees before straightening to run to the foot. The bow is decorated with incissed lines and enamel. Incised lines run down the entire length marking off narrow plain borders to each side. The upper part of the bow is probably decorated with a rectangular panel containing an incised saltire although this is mostly obscured by corrosion product. Below this section, defined by a transverse incised line, the thin border continues but the centre is decorated with a veritical row of five recessed square cells holding alternating white and red enamel, white at the top and bottom. The cells are separated by pairs of incised transverse lines.
The bow narrows envently from 10.5 mm at the top to 4.9mm at the foot. On the front of the foot is a circular raised foot knop, now damaged so the diameter is unclear. The back of the bow is plain and terminates in an almost complete triangular catch plate, with only the pin rest missing due to old breaks.
It is 28.3mm in width across the wings and 38.3mm in length with a weight of 12.86g
Bayley and Butcher (2004, 167) suggest this type is mainly South Western in distribution and dates to the later first - early 2nd century AD (c. AD 75-150). It is slightly unusual in having square rather than the more common lozenge shaped cells for enamel although others with this decoration are known.
Class: Developed T-shaped
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 75
Date to: Circa AD 150
Quantity: 1
Length: 28.3 mm
Width: 38.3 mm
Weight: 12.86 g
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Other reference: SCC receipt 019059
Primary material: Copper alloy
Completeness: Incomplete
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel
4 Figure: ST3729
Four figure Latitude: 51.05686958
Four figure longitude: -2.90028167
1:25K map: ST3729
1:10K map: ST32NE
Grid reference source: From finder
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 |