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Description: | An incomplete copper-alloy zoomorphic pin, of Early Medieval dating (AD 300 to AD 500). Approximately 75% of the pin is present, with only the tip missing. The pin would have originally been straight but now exhibits a 90 degree lateral (sideways) bend, located about the midpoint of the shaft. The head of the pin consists of a rectangular terminal with a flat reverse. The shaft of the pin is circular in section and gradually tapers to a point.The terminal has a squarish slightly raised area below a broad transverse groove (3.6 mm wide), which together represent an upturned snout; above this is the rest of the animal's head, now a simple cuboid in shape. It measures 104.04 mm, 7.84 mm wide (at the wide terminal), 5.90 mm thick (at the terminal). It weighs 23.6 g.The object is a mid to dark green colour, with an even surface patina. The patina extends over the break at the base of the pin, indicating an old pre-depositional break (prior to burial). The bend in the shaft may have happened prior to deposition or as a result of pressure and movement within the plough soil.Anna Booth (Leicester University) has identified this as a Fowler Type E (zoomorphic) pin, of Late Roman to Early Medieval date. The heads of Type E pins are similar to the terminals on Type E penannular brooches, with a square or lozengiform head with tiny mouldings at each corner representing features, usually eyes and ears, and jaws from which the shaft or hoop springs. On this example, abrasion has made all of these surface details barely visible. Some Type E pins are enamelled, but there is no evidence that this pin had enamelled decoration.According to Fowler (1963, 121), the Type E pin can be divided into simple (with rounded heads) and, as this example, complex (with squared heads and carefully delineated animal features). Fowler noted 10 examples of the complex type, apparently all from Scotland or Northumbria (1963. 150-1). They date from the late 3rd century at the earliest and persist in use to at least the 5th (Fowler, 1963, 122).This is the first example to have been recorded on the PAS database and its findspot is unusually far south.
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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