BERK-015F4A: Roman brooch: 'Celtic face' brooch

Rights Holder: Oxfordshire County Council
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BROOCH

Unique ID: BERK-015F4A

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation Find awaiting validation

A complete cast copper alloy Roman plate brooch probably dating to the 2nd century. Centrally is a rounded lozenge extending from two corners of which are rounded projections with shallow hollows, which would have contained coloured enamel. There may have been four projections originally, the missing two projecting from the top and bottom of the lozenge-shaped plate. Centrally is a projecting oval which has been engraved into the form of a human face. The head has a deep line over the top of the brow, and one attached to this that extends between the eyes and on to the nose - this may be a helmet. The eyes are worn but discernable, the nose is a small triangular projection, and the mouth is a slightly downcast line. The hinged pin is extant and complete on the reverse.

A very small number of similar brooches have been recorded on the PAS database (eg SOM-F6B841; SUR-8905CD, WILT-4BF5B6; WILT-1617A7), including another from the same area of Oxfordshire (SUR-7482C1).

Find of note status

This is a find of note and has been designated: Potential for inclusion in Britannia

Class: Celtic face

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Exactly AD 100
Date to: Circa AD 200

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 21.2 mm
Height: 7.1 mm
Width: 34.7 mm
Weight: 5.2 g

Personal details

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Other reference numbers

Other reference: OXPAS2018.141

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Figurative
Completeness: Incomplete

Spatial metadata

Region: South East (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Oxfordshire (County)
District: Vale of White Horse (District)
Parish or ward: Upton (Civil Parish)

Spatial coordinates

4 Figure: SU5387
Four figure Latitude: 51.57937832
Four figure longitude: -1.23653424
1:25K map: SU5387
1:10K map: SU58NW
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
General landuse: Grassland, Heathland
Specific landuse: Disturbed

References cited

No references cited so far.

Similar objects

Find number: SUR-7482C1
Object type: BROOCH
Broadperiod: ROMAN
A cast copper alloy Roman plate brooch probably dating to the 2nd century. Centrally is a rounded square extending from two corners of which …
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Find number: SOM-BF64C4
Object type: BROOCH
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An incomplete cast copper alloy Roman plate brooch dating to the 2nd century. The majority of the plate survives in addition to parts of two …
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Find number: SUR-8905CD
Object type: BROOCH
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A cast copper alloy Roman plate brooch with projecting face, of probable 2nd century date. The central element is a slightly rounded square w…
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Timeline of associated dates

Audit data

Recording Institution: BERK
Created: 6 years ago
Updated: 4 years ago

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