BROOCH

An incomplete Roman copper alloy headstud brooch, dating to AD 75-200. The brooch is almost complete, missing only its pin.

The head of the brooch survives to a width of 15.7mm, this has a transversely concave reverse, with a central perforated lug holding a copper alloy axis bar in situ; although this is likely broken and may have originally curved around to form a headloop. A sprung pin mechanism is also retained, with 5 of an original 6 coils surviving, and with the cord looping around over the top of the head, held in place by a small lug projecting from the head, curving slightly forward and projecting from a moulded collar. The front of the wings have each been decorated with two deeply incised longitudinal grooves.

The bow expands from the head of the brooch with a rectangular cross section, 10.3mm wide by 4.6mm thick. it is decorated with a raised circular boss at the point of inflection, with this baring a recessed hollow circular field filled with red enamel, suriving in situ. A series of recessed rectangular, transverse cells runs down the bow, some similarly retaining red enamel inlay. The bow tapers down into a transverse collar before expanding and terminating in a semi-circular sectioned, flat foot. An unperforated catchplate projects 8.8mm from the reverse of the bow.

Dimensions: length 59.3mm; width 16.5mm; thickness 18.4mm; weight 17.27g.

cf. a similar example illustrated by Bayley and Butcher (2004: 164) an example, of Hull's Type T148B.