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Description: | A complete copper alloy button and loop fastener of Roman date. The object has a square head at the centre of which is a large raised circular boss within a circumferential recess which is likely to have been filled with coloured enamel. The reverse of the head has a circular recess at its centre from the edge of which a circular sectioned shank extends at 90 degrees to the head. The shank bends again at 90 degrees before separating into two arms to form a triangular attachment loop. The orientation of the shank results in the head and loop being on different plains.The metal has a light greenish-brown patina and is worn. The button and loop fastener is 29.3mm long, 19.1mm wide, 13.8mm thick and weight 8.9g.This example would probably fit best into Class VIa of J.P. Wild's classification of button and loop fasteners in the Roman Provinces (1970). This class is defined as having a square or rectangular head with recessed enamelled decoration. The example recorded here however features a raised dome which is a feature of Wild's Class IIIb. Due to the age of Wild's classification some less common styles of these objects may have been unknown at the time of publication. It is possible that the types and date range associated with this classification may need to be refined or extended. As such a date range of late Iron Age to early Roman (50BC - 300 AD) is suggested.
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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