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Description: | An incomplete cast copper alloy two-piece Polden Hill brooch of Roman date (75-175 AD). The wings are semi-cylindrical with perforated wing / end caps. The wing caps are broken but the axis bar and spring are present. The pin is missing. The spring is formed from a length of copper alloy wire which has been turned nine times to form the spring and is attached by an external chord to a rearward facing hook. This hook is located at the centre of the wings on the upper edge. The axis bar is also made of copper alloy. It also seems that the pin has been replaced with an iron one at a later date - possibly as a repair. The evidence for this is a large fragment of corroded iron folded around the axis bar of the brooch at the mid point. The bow head of the brooch is hump-like, and slightly angular. The bow is semi-circular (D-Shaped) in cross section. It tapers to a broken edge above the foot. The catch plate on the reverse face of the bow is lost; it expanded from a central rib located beneath the head of the brooch. This rib runs from the head of the brooch to the broken edge. The brooch is decorated with a series of cast designs. A large raised rib extends along the spine of the brooch emanating from the rearward facing hook. This rib is flanked by two smaller ribs. Either side of this - on the sides of the brooch are a series of incised pellet within in annulet (ring and dot) decoration which are evenly spaces along the entire length- although lost on the lower part of the bow by abrasion. The cast decoration is also present at the junction between the body of the brooch and the wings. Here there is a large rib on either side of the body. This design echoes that present on the wing caps which are raised above the level of the cylindrical wings. The brooch is a mid green colour with an uneven abraded patina. This abrasion is probably caused by movement in the plough soil and has resulted in damage around the extremities of the brooch. Traces of a grey (silvered / tinned) applied surface are also present. There are also several small areas of light green copper corrosion present. Similar brooches can be seen in Richard Hattatt's Visual Guide to Ancient brooches pp 300 fig; 159: However, a published parallel with similar applied decoration has not been found.The brooch measures 28.5mm length, 17.9m width across the wings and 8.3mm across the bow; it is 5.2mm thick at the same point. The brooch weighs 9.15 grams. | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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