BROOCH

Late Iron Age to early Roman (c. AD 25 to c. 60) Colchester One-Piece brooch: The copper alloy has wings which are formed by a horizontal rectangular bar which are triangular when viewed from above. On the reverse of the wings, integral to the upper edge is a rectangular protrusion which is broken, but not recently. The lower edge of the wings, on the reverse, there is a trace the integral spring. The bow is hump-like in profile, but is slender and tapers down the bow to a sharp folded terminal. The bow is sub-oval in section and undecorated. The reverse of the lower portion of the bow has traces of a catchplate. In profile the bow forms a slightly curved crescent or bracket, partly due to damage. The surface of the brooch is abraded and has traces of a brown/green patina. The brooch is incomplete, missing the catchplate, spring and pin and is in fair condition.

It weighs 2.8g, and measures 9.64mm wide across the wings and 41.95mm long.

Colchester One-Piece brooches are derived from continental brooches (Bayley and Butcher, 2004, 149) and are a La Tène III type, and are common in the middle years of the first century. Worrell (2007) suggests they date to c. 25 to c. 60 AD. Hattat (Hattat, 1985) illustrates a similar brooch No. 250. Mackreth (2011) classes this type as a Colchester Derivative Part 3 Type 2 (The British Standard) Plate 22.

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

Hattat, R 1985 Iron Age and Roman Brooches Oxbow

Mackreth, D. F. 2011Brooches in Late Iron Age and Roman Britain Volume 1 Oxford: Oxbow Books

Worrell, S. 2007 'Roman Brooch Timeline' North-West PAS Newsletter