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BROOCH
Unique ID: PUBLIC-913011
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An incomplete cast copper alloy Roman Polden Hill type two-piece brooch with a spring mechanism. The cross bar of the brooch is composed of hollow, rectangular wings which are semi-circular in profile to accommodate the iron spring, now missing. Between the two wings at the back projects a semi-circular lug pierced with two holes. The upper hole was for the chord of the spring and the lower hole has the corroded remains of the end of the iron axis bar in place. The pin is also missing, which was probably also made of iron. There is a small fragment of copper alloy wire, found with the brooch, which might be part of the chord, rather than the pin, but is not curved enough in profile for the spring. The head of the bow is corroded but there is still the base of a narrow vertical crest that runs down the centre of the beginnings of the bow. The lower section of the bow has been damaged and is bent, but still retains the base of the catch plate. The patina is mid-green in colour with a layer of brown pitted corrosion over most of the bow and some light green active areas of bronze disease.
Length 55 mm, width 23.9 mm, height 12 mm, thickness 8.5 mm. weight 8.4 g.
Hattatt (2000) illustrates a similar sprung Polden Hill type brooch with a short crest on page 300, fig.159, no.26, which is dated from the 1st century AD.
Bayley and Butcher (2004) illustrate a similar sprung Polden Hill type brooch with a short crest on page 90, fig.71, no.209, which dates from c.AD 80-120.
Class: Polden Hill
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: ROMAN
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 80
Date to: Circa AD 120
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 55 mm
Height: 12 mm
Width: 23.9 mm
Thickness: 8.5 mm
Weight: 8.4 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 10th September 2017 - Sunday 10th September 2017
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Iron
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Spatial metadata
Region: South West (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Dorset (County)
District: North Dorset (District)
Parish or ward: Okeford Fitzpaine (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: ST8010
Four figure Latitude: 50.88913515
Four figure longitude: -2.28570884
1:25K map: ST8010
1:10K map: ST81SW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
| 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 | p.90, fig.71 | no.209 | |
| Hattatt, R. | 2000 | A Visual Catalogue of Richard Hattatt's Ancient Brooches | Oxford | Oxbow Books | p.300, fig.159 | no.26 |
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Timeline of associated dates
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