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Description: | A slightly incomplete cast copper alloy Roman Colchester Two Piece Polden Hill brooch, dating to the 1st/ 2nd century, between AD 43 - 200 (length: 42.5mm; width at wings: 22mm; thickness/ depth: 15mm; weight: 12.6g). Bayley and Butcher (see bibliography below) have classified this type of brooch as a type 'a', which they describe as brooches with a 'long tapering bow, decoration usually confined to a crest and flanges on the upper part; the crossbar often rubbed and beaded; sometimes a triangular opening in the catchplate; occasionally a footknob' (page 89].
At the top of the brooch, the external overhead cast copper alloy chord runs through a pierced hole/ lug, which is formed as part of a linear protruding and decorative ridge that runs down the central length of the head and bow for approximately 17.5mm. The wings (to either side of the head) are decorated with two sets of two parallel incised lines down the length of each wing (one set appear near the head; the other set at the end of the wings). The wind terminals have slightly protruding caps at either end, which hold the cast copper alloy axis bar and spring in place between them. To either side of the brooch's head, there is a single raised and protruding crescent-shaped appendage that also encompasses and curves round a large section of the wings. The caps at either end of the wings and the appendages are common characteristics/ features of Polden Hill brooches. Apart from the ridge partly down the centre of the bow, there is no other decoration on the bow, which itself is bent and curved to the left at a 90? angle more than half way down the brooch's length and is D-shaped in section until the catchplate, where it becomes flat in section. Additionally, the bow tapers inwards from the top of the brooch to the bottom and terminates at a point without a footknob.
At the back of the brooch, the cast copper alloy spring is mostly intact below and between the overhead chord. The spring has nine complete turns and is wound around the axis bar. The cast copper alloy circular-sectioned pin is also mostly intact (length: 37mm), although is stops short of the catchplate towards the bottom of the brooch. The integral cast copper alloy catchplate is, as mentioned previously, bent to one side with its outside edge curved to one side to enable the pin to securely slot into place when the brooch was worn on an item of clothing. Additionally, the catchplate has a central triangular cut out as part of the decoration. Overall, the brooch is in a worn but fair condition with extensive blue copper alloy corrosion down the front of the bow as well as the artefact having a patchy dark green patina.
Similar examples are illustrated in Bayley, J & Butcher, S, 2004, 'Roman Brooches in Britain: A Technological and Typological Study based on the Richborough Collection', page 90, ref nos 209-10. | Format: | text/html | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ | Publisher: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Rights holder: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Subjects: | archaeology | Temporal: | 43
200 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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