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Description: | An incomplete cast copper alloy Colchester Two Piece Polden Hill brooch, dating to the 1st/ 2nd century, between AD 43 - 200 (length: 42.5mm; width at wings: 22.5mm; thickness/ depth: 15.5mm; weight: 10.9g). 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]. The brooch is T-shaped in plan and most D-shaped in section. At the top of the brooch, there are the central stumped remains of a rearward claw (length: 4mm; width: 3mm; thickness: 2.5mm), which would have originally extends back to connect with the spring mechanism. The semi-cylindrical wings (length of wing at either side of head: 4mm) are plain without decoration. The wings also have caps on the ends (one cap is more complete than the other) to hold the spring and axis bar in place (now missing), which would have been held at the back of the wings. To either side of the head of the brooch, there are prominently raised crescent-shaped appendages, which also encompass the wings. The caps at the wing terminals and these appendages are both common characteristics of Polden Hill brooches. The tapering bow of the brooch is completely undecorated with a worn, corroded and stumped end, which appears to be an old break. At the back of the brooch and as already mentioned, the spring and pin are completely missing with a hollow casing remaining behind the head where it originally fitted. It is impossible to conclude whether the spring and pin were made of copper alloy or iron. There is no decoration on the back of the brooch and due to the incomplete bow, only a small area of the broken cast copper alloy catchplate remains. The pin (when originally present) would have fastened into the curved catchplate (when complete) to hold the brooch to an item of clothing. Overall, the artefact is in a worn but fair condition with a pitted 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?, pages 91-2, fig 72, particularly ref nos 211-2 & 214-5. | 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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