BROOCH

An incomplete Iron Age La Tene IBa type brooch dating to the period c.400 - 275 BC. The majority of the brooch survives it missing only its head and integral sprung pin.

The brooch is broken at the head with only a small part of the circular cross sectioned wire of the spring remaining running vertically down for c.2mm before arching steeply upwards from the head into the bow. Iron corrosion around this area suggests there may have been an iron cross bar. The bow expands into a D-shaped cross section with a flat back and convex front. Despite being mostly abraded smooth there are faint traces of incised circles placed in a line running down the centre of this section of the brooch.

The bow then arches downwards at a steep angle and simultaneously tapers into the foot. At the bottom of the curve the foot expands on one side to form the catchplate which rolls upwards. The foot then curves upwards and back on itself to face the bow. The brooch terminates in a horizontal ridged collar followed by a large sub-circular knop, both again with a flat back.

The brooch measures 36.7mm in length, 5.4mm in width, and weighs 6.36 grams.

Similar brooches are illustrated by Hattat (2000, 288, fig. 147) particularly no. 220 and 724. Bayley and Butcher (2004, 145-7) also illustrate a similar brooch, No. T1, and comments that variations of this brooch are found across Europe. The iron corrosion suggests this brooch had a rod through the sping in the 'Wessex' varient of Type 1Ba which dates to 400-275 BC (Sophie Adams unpublished training notes).