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Description: | Incomplete cast copper alloy Colchester derivative (or possibly a T shaped) two part brooch of Roman date (50-200AD). The wings are semi-cylindrical with perforated wing / end caps. The wing caps are incomplete and the axis bar, spring and pin are missing. It is likely that the pin / spring would have been attached by an external chord to a pierced lug formed from a raised decorative rib located at the centre of the wings on the upper edge. The hole through the rib is an irregular oval and there is a marked groove where the chord would have passed. The bow head is relatively flat and wide being slightly angular in profile. The bow is lentoid in cross section. It tapers to an abraded broken edge. Originally it would have terminated in a tapered foot. There is no evidence for a catchplate, pin rest or vertical rib on the underside of the bow. The brooch measures 23.5mm length, 23.9mm width (across wings), 12.8mm width across bow, is 5.8mm thick across the bow, and weighs 7.26 grams.The brooch is abraded and much of the detailed decoration has been lost. The main decoration consists of a series of vertical ribs. These arranged around a central rib which extends from the head and terminates at the break. The upper part of this rib has been pierced to hold the external chord of the spring. The rib itself has been decorated with a number of very small diagonal incised marks. Either side of the bow are two other vertical ribs similarly decorated. The wings have also been decorated with a series of two ribs per side with similar incised decoration. It is also possible that the brooch has been tinned as the metal is a mid grey green colour. This may also be the result of the brooch being formed of leaded bronze. The brooch is a mid grey green colour with an even but much abraded patina. Where abrasion has occurred it is most evident on the external faces of the brooch. This is especially true on the central decorative spine where there are a number of stress fractures in the metal. Movement in the plough soil has also distorted the profile of the brooch. There is no evidence of active corrosion present. Similar brooches can be seen in Richard Hattatt's Visual Guide to Ancient brooches pp 301-302 fig; 159-160 and Bayley and Butcher: Roman Brooches in Britain.
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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