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Description: | Disc BroochThe disc brooch, which was partially hidden by degraded wood, was removed by conservators and was in poor condition (MoLSS 2000). The complete brooch is 66-68mm in diameter and 8mm thick. The registered find number is .The brooch has a stepped profile with a gold-coloured metal surface and a blue-green domed centrepiece (Garrett 2000). It consists of two copper alloy discs bound by a white paste and held together by 'thin copper alloy bands around the edge' (Blackmore 2002). The brooch is decorated with garnets backed by gold foils, of which, 80% remain in situ (Blackmore 2002).The raised centrepiece is 27mm in diameter and is made from two rings each with an 'upstanding gold wall with a collar of twisted gold wire' (Blackmore 2002). There is a bluish-white material on the outer ring and a garnet in the central ring. There is a third ring around the centre with a gold wall and a 'border of irregularly sized cloisons' (Blackmore 2002). Encircling the centrepiece, the brooch has a uniform surface and is made up of a fourth ring, which contains rows of garnet cloisons set in copper alloy. Elongated triangles radiate out from this ring in a cross-shape and consist of white paste and garnets. Between each triangle, there are circular settings, four in total, which consist of cloisons. The fifth ring makes up the brooch surrounding the triangular and circular settings and is made of a gold plaque and 'finely beaded wire' (Blackmore 2002). This is surrounded by two rings containing garnets. The back of the brooch is a disc made from copper alloy, with a 'thick copper alloy pin' and hinge (Blackmore 2002).The brooch is typical of Kentish origin and is likely to date to c.650, but with a probable deposition date of c.670. The brooch was positioned on the chest of skeleton [1223] and the degraded wood suggests that it may have been deposited in a wooden box. The rarity of the grave find at Floral Street may suggest that the female was an important member of the community in Lundenwic.The gold used for the brooch has a purity of 74%, plus a higher quality foil at a purity of 85% (Blackmore 2002) and in terms of the Treasure Act 1996 is less than 10% of the object.Silver rings from a possible necklaceFive silver rings were found beside and partly under the brooch. The registered find number is . It is clear that some rings are over others, but it is not certain that they were interlinked. The rings probably derive from a necklace (or part necklace) and were perhaps originally tied with thread in a chain like those found in graves at Chamberlain's Barn, Leighton Buzzard (Hyslop 1963, figs 8, 9, 13, 17), where a Kentish-type disc brooch was also found. The use of gold or silver wire rings in necklaces is a predominantly 7th-century trend (although not unknown before this), and typical of the last phase of Conversion period burials, when the great festoons of beads that were popular in the 6th century were replaced by simpler fashions (ibid, 191; 198-9; Geake 1997, 48-50).The rings are more or less pure silver; XRF analysis shows that they contain, in decreasing order of abundance, silver, chloride, bromide, iron, lead, and copper. The dimensions are difficult to ascertain due to distortion and poor preservation, but X-ray suggests that in all cases the diameter of the wire is 2.5mm. Two rings are c.37mm x 26mm across, while one is c.32mm x 23mm. Two smaller rings are 27mm in diameter. The three larger rings are of slip-knot construction, and the same probably applies to the smaller rings.Glass beadsThree frit or glass beads with moulded banding were revealed, two blue and one white. The registered finds numbers are , and . It has been argued that, like the rings, the beads used in necklaces may have had an amuletic function (Meaney 1981, 172-4).
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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