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Description: | A copper-alloy incomplete 'Picardy' Pin dating from the 'Ornament horizon' phase of the late Taunton or early Penard phase of the later Middle Bronze Age, approximately 1400-1250 BC. The pin is 75.3mm in length, the diameter of the flat, circular head is 7.95mm and it weighs 10.86g. The shank is circular in section and its diameter is 4-5.85mm with the swollen part of the shank in the upper part. The pin exhibits the elaborate, finely incised decoration in motifs following a tradition of ornament common on pins from north-eastern France and south-eastern England (Hawkes 1942, figs. 3 & 4; O'Connor 1980, 76) and occurring as far afield as Denmark (Broholm 1944, II pl. 22, 9). The decoration on the head consists of a stamped 'cross' motif with a circular stamp at the centre and five similar stamps in four directions to form the cross. Around the head is a row of short vertical lines, with three concentric lines below followed by a further panel of short vertical lines. The zone below consists of incised lozenges infilled with closely set diagonal lines within the lozenges and closely set diagonal lines in the opposite direction in the area above and outside of the lozenges. A second zone, 5.5cm long, consists of closely-set oblique lines at a slightly different angle to those above. Single circular and semi-circular stamps in the area created by two lines and following the same line, are divided by a single oblique line before the next stamped oblique panel. Below is part of the final zone comprising incomplete lozenges infilled with diagonal lines on the same axis as those in the first similar zone below the head.The closest published example is an incomplete pin from Hadleigh, Suffolk (Lawson 1979; O'Connor 1980, 458 List 36 no. 3 fig. 32). This example shares several features in common with the Mildenhall pin; a swollen upper shank and finely incised linear decoration. However, unlike the Mildenhall pin, that from Hadleigh has a transverse, almost central perforation at its thickest point. The decorative motifs vary between the two pins, but are similar enough to reveal that both pins belong to a broad European phenomenon in the later mid Bronze Age phase. Other examples are known from St. Margaret's-at-Cliffe, Kent and Wandsworth (Lawson 1979, 76) and all exhibit decorative features that are not completely identical suggesting that, although the dataset with which to seek parallels is small, there appears to be a degree of individuality in the decorative design of such pins.Lawson (1979) suggested that, although at the time of writing, there were as many 'Picardy' pins from England as from France, their likely origin was in northern France. However, further recent finds and the level of craftsmanship evident in this country at that time, offers the possibility that the production of these pins might easily have occurred in this country, as well as in France.Other 'ornament horizon' artefacts which share similarities with these pins in the form of their incised decoration are a series of Liss-type annular and penannular bracelets. The bracelets concentrate in the southern counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and West Sussex and examples are also known from Suffolk and Norfolk. Incised decorated bracelets form part of a North European tradition, which has led to the suggestion that the examples from southern England may be imported from northern France, although this theory has been questioned (O'Connor 1980).The pin represents a very valuable addition to the small dataset of so-called 'Picardy Pins' found in Britain and elsewhere in the north European Plain. These pins are mostly, but not always decorated and may be perforated or looped or neither and share common features such as the shape of the head, the swelling of the neck and decoration in the form of incised linear motifs.
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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