Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
CC License:
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Unique ID: SOM-6EC4EC
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A fragment of a Roman copper alloy hinged developed T-shaped brooch, dating to AD 75 to 150. The fragment consists of the head, the upper part of the bow and part of the pin.
The brooch has completed open-ended cylindrical wings that measure 35.2 mm in width and 4.7 mm in diameter near the edge. The wings taper slightly from the centre of the head to each end and hold a copper alloy axis bar. They are decorated across the front only with two grooves at each end. At the back of the head there is a central sub-rectangular pin slot where the pin hinged. The pin survives for 17.5 mm to an old break. It is now bent at 130-degree angle backwards, flanking the bow on one side.
The bow projects out of the head of the brooch with a width of 11.2 mm and survives for 20.5 mm in length to a worn old break. The bow is trapezoidal in section with a flat front. The front is decorated with an incised line running longitudinally down either edge with finely incised zig-zag lines within the grooves. The centre of the bow is decorated from the pin slot with two slightly incised converging lines, probably flanked by further two lines. At the converging point, the lines separate again to form an open-based triangle. Below these incised line is a triangular recessed cell, which originally held an enamel inlay now lost. This cell is surrounded by a triangular slightly incised line. Below this, a central indent surrounded by a circular slightly incised line just above the break. Part of a second inlaid cell remain at the break, probably triangular or lozenge-shaped.
The brooch has a mostly green patina with traces of a white metal coat on one wing and on the bow. It measures 23.7mm in length, 35.2 mm in width, 3.5 mm in thickness at the break of the bow and weights 10.9 g.
Shape and decoration with enamel inlaid cells suggests an identification as a developed T-shaped brooch. Bayley and Butcher (2004: 167-168) suggest that such brooches form a group with a distinctly South-Western distribution and can be dated to AD 50 to 160.
Class:
Colchester derivative
Sub class: Developed T-shaped
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 50
Date to: Circa AD 150
Quantity: 1
Length: 23.7 mm
Width: 35.2 mm
Thickness: 3.5 mm
Weight: 10.9 g
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: White metal
Completeness: Fragment
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
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 | 167-168 |