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Description: | A fragment of a cast copper alloy Colchester Two Piece Polden Hill brooch, dating from the 1st/ 2nd century AD (length: 26.5mm; width at wings: 20.5mm; thickness/ depth: 11.5mm; weight: 11.6g). Bayley and Butcher (see bibliography below) have classified this type of brooch as a type 'b', which they describe as 'heavier brooches, usually large, the upper bow humped forward over the crossbar; the effect often increased by a slight lateral extension showing as disc-shaped flanges beside it. The tapering lower bow is usually plain but the upper half can have a range of cut or moulded decoration, sometimes enamelled. A few have footknobs, some have cutouts in the catchplate' (page 91].At the top of the brooch, there are very short semi-cylindrical wings (length of wings at either side: 6.5mm) with slightly protruding caps on the wing terminals, which would have originally held the axis bar and spring mechanism in place (now missing). To either side of the head and encompassing part of the short semi-cylindrical wings, there is a single crescent-shaped raised appendage (one of these is clearly visible while the other is less so due to wear and corrosion). The caps at the wing terminals and these appendages are both common characteristics of Polden Hill brooches. The brooch is broken at approximately 13mm below the head as the bow begins to taper inwards. There is no visible decoration on the front of the brooch.All features are missing at the back of the brooch fragment. The area behind the wings where the spring mechanism would have originally been is now visible as just a hollow cavity. However, there is a small amount of probable iron corrosion in this cavity, possibly indicating that the axis bar and probable spring mechanism would have been made of iron when present. Overall, the brooch is in a worn, corroded and poor condition with small areas of the original dark green/ brown patina still remaining, particularly at the brooch's wings.Similar examples are illustrated in Bayley, J & Butcher, S, 2004, 'Roman Brooches in Britain: A Technological and Typological Study based on the Richborough Collection', pages 91-2, ref nos 211, 212, 214 & 215.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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