BROOCH

An incomplete cast copper alloy Early-Medieval radiate-headed brooch, dating to the 6th century AD. Only the head plate and a fragment of the bow remains. The head plate is semi-circular with seven equidistant, integral projections / tabs on the outside edge. Tabs one, four and seven are sub-rectangular and solid where as the intervening tabes are triangular with circular apertures within and moulded, rounded cells on the peaks - these are hollow but retain traces of a white substance, possibly a paste or a coral insert. All of the tabs have moulded horizontal and/or vertical linear decoration. The centre of the head is bounded by a riased semi-circular rib within which is a decorative panel of geometric vertical and horizontal lines. The remaining section of the bow is ribbed on the outer edges with a third rib arranged centrally. The reverse of the head plate has two integral, vertical, perforated lugs with traces of the iron pin hinge.

The brooch is an Early Medieval radiate-headed brooch however its size sets it apart, being similar in size to Great Square Headed brooches. Radiate head brooches were manufactured by the Franks on the Continent although there is evidence for this type of brooch also being manufactured in Kent and possibly Oxfordshire (MacGregor and Bolick, 1993:147), where this example is from. These type of brooches are spread from the Isle of Wight (IOW-B52767) to Yorkshire (YORYM-2A90CB). This type of radiate-headed brooch is dated the first half of the sixth century AD by Werner (1961), and to Kentish Phase III (530 to 570AD) by Parfitt and Brugmann (1995, 43, 105 and Table 11). This is the first example with seven tabs recorded on the database, and indeed the first of this design and size.

MacGregor, A. and Bolick, E., 1993 A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals) British Archaeological Reports British Series 230: Oxford.