Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: SF-2CAD8F
Object type certainty: Probably
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
An incomplete copper-alloy probable early medieval composite ansate brooch. It consists of two sub-circular flat terminals connected by a low arched strip-like bow. The outer face of each terminal is decorated with a line of incised dots around the outer edge and three incised ring-and-dots in the centre arranged in an irregular triangular formation. A central line of incised dots decorated the outer face of the central bow. There is an off-centre circular hole through each terminal, passing through one of the incised ring-and-dot motifs on each. One hole is filled with a corroded iron rivet and there is corresponding iron corrosion on the reverse, which may be the remains of a pin fitting or catch-plate. A shiny dark brown patina survives in places.
With its circular terminals and narrow, strip-like bow the brooch finds its closest parallels within Thorle's (2001, taf. 12-13) Gruppe II C 1/ Weetch (2013) Type 110, which are broadly of c.AD 700 to c.AD 1000 date. It is, however, of an unusual composite construction unlike others of this type, which typically have integrally cast pin fitting and catch-plate. A small group of similar composite ansate brooches have now been recorded with the PAS from elsewhere in Suffolk (see SF-5ABE33, SF9377, SF-B1A2C2). These seem likely to be of exclusively British manufacture in imitation of continental counterparts, suggesting that they may date to the later end of the above chronology (Faye Minter pers. com.).
Length: 57.12mm, width: 15.24mm, weight: 7.13g
Class: Thorle's (2001, taf. 12-13) Gruppe II C 1/ Weetch (2013) Type 110
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 800
Date to: Circa AD 1000
Quantity: 1
Length: 57.12 mm
Width: 15.24 mm
Weight: 7.13 g
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st April 2019
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.