BROOCH

A complete but heavily distorted cast copper-alloy late Iron Age / La Tene III Nauheim derivative style brooch dated c. 50 BC - AD 100. The brooch is complete but heavily distorted through movement in the ploughsoil. The brooch is cast in one piece with an integrally cast spring consisting of three coils with an internal spring chord. The pin is oval in section and tapers along its length - the point / tip terminates in a sharp point. The turns of the spring and chord of the spring have a distinct rectangular section. The head of the bow narrows at the spring, then expands in section to form a flat, triangular shaped bow with tapering, pointed foot. The sweep of the bow is elegant. At the foot the bow extending from the back edge of the foot is a crescentic cast flattened catchplate that is rectangular in section. The outer edge of the catchplate is curled over to form a pin rest and the whole lower bow is further distorted through movement in the soil. The front face of the bow is with two incised lines which mirror the external edge and a rocker arm zig-zag pattern that decorated the central plate. The brooch is a mid brown green colour with a well formed and unabraded surface patina. This brooch fits a group of varied brooches of Nauheim derivative (La Tene III) dating to the very late Iron Age a number are illustrated by Hattatt (2000, 290-291)

The brooch measures is difficult to measure due to distortion - it has an elongated length of 69.6mm and the bow is 11.8mm maximum width and 1.2mm thick. The brooch weighs 5.58 grams