|
Date: |
|
Description: | An incomplete copper-alloy Roman rostte or thistle brooch dating to the first century AD (c.25-60AD). The brooch has a total length of 38.78mm and weighs 8.47g. The brooch consists of a lozenge shaped plate, now incomplete with all of the left side missing from the edge of the bow. The remains of the plate has a width of 17.47mm and length of 21.90mm. The lower bow has lateral fluting, is 0.82mm thick, 8.15mm wide and has a length of 11.01mm from the lowest point of the lozenge. On the reverse of the lower bow is a catchplate formed in two parts. The catchplate covers a length of 20.39mm including a central gap between the two halves of 3.93mm. The two halves are of opposing four-sided shaped with a right-angled upper corner adjacent to the gap and ending in a triangular form at the sides furthest from each other. This gives the top edge of the catchplate remains a length of 12.84mm. No return survives, but one corner of one of the catchplate halves is bent over slightly. This bent corner is likely to be a result of later damage rather then design. The catchplate has a thickness of 1.01mm and has a height, extending out from the reverse of the lower bow, of 4.92mm. At the centre of the lozenge shaped plate is a circular detail of 11.70mm diameter, demarcated by a narrow ridge 0.57mm thick. The fluted upper bow arches forward from the centre of this circular zone. The wdth and thickness of the upper bow are approximately the same as those dimensions of the lower bow. The upper bow covers a straight length (length in plan) of 12.53mm, but the curved length (three dimensional length) has not been recorded. The top of the arched upper bow connects to the cylinder, just above the point where the lozenge plate also connects to the cylinder, which encases the spring of the brooch pin. The cylnder is 18.17mm wide and has a diameter of 7.58mm. The walls of the cylinder are 0.54mm thick and the ends are open exposing the ends of the surviving spring of unknown number of coils within. The number of coils are unknown due to the complete condition of the cylinder. The pin, which survives in excellent condition emerges from the spring through a slit in the cylinder that is 3.18mm wide. The pin has a current length of 33.25mm which seems to be almost if not the exact original full length.It is interesting to note that the delicate pin and spring survive while just less than half of the more robust lozenge shaped plate is missing. The site had, unusually, been deep ploughed just prior to the brooch being found by use of a metal detector. The lump of soil containing the brooch was taken away from the field and slowly and carefully soaked and excavated indoors over several days. The finder confirms that the missing section of lozenge plate was not contained within the soil lump or detected separately in the field either on the same or a separate date. It is interesting to speculate whether the section of lozenge plate might have been lost through damage contemporary with the brooch being in use and that this might have led to the brooch being discarded.For similar examples see Hattatt, 2007, p.308, fig.167, no.1470 also the circular plated rosette brooches that seem to be more prevalent - no.279 & 789 and p.309, fig.168, no.282.Other examples of rosette brooches can also be seen on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database of which the following records are just a few: SOM-918681, LIN-8338A2, DENO-673B45, NMS-83D4A8 & KENT-3505E6.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
BROOCH
A fragment of a copper-alloy…
-
BROOCH
An incomplete copper-alloy Late Iron…
-
BROOCH
An incomplete copper-alloy Rosette/Thistle brooch…
-
BROOCH
A complete but twisted copper-alloy…
-
BROOCH
An incomplete copper-alloy Roman brooch…
-
BROOCH
An incomplete copper-alloy Aucissa variant…
-
BROOCH
An incomplete cast copper alloy…
-
BROOCH
An incomplete cast copper alloy…
-
BROOCH
Two fragments from an incomplete…
-
BROOCH
Incomplete corroded ?cast copper alloy…
|